Gods & Monsters
by Allegra
Summary: Strange folk are turning up in Roswell & a mysterious building is being constructed in the desert. Who are the new neighbours & what exactly are they here for?
1. Chapter One

  
GODS AND MONSTERS 

by Allegra

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own any of these character. They all belong to Jason Katims, Fox etc. Please don't sue!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I never usually put unfinished stories on the web because I never know how much I'll want to change it later on. However, I'm trying a new tactic, hoping that if people enjoy it, guilt or motivation will suddenly grip me & force me to finish it!  
I started this story a long time ago & then my computer lost about seven pages of it which meant I didn't go back to it for ages. Once I'd finally rewritten the lost scenes, I was stuck with wondering whether I should update the story to the end of season two (Tess is gone & Alex is dead). Since I have some Alex scenes which I quite like, I'm leaving him in. I've also made a few references to Agent Pierce so I suppose this story will be towards the end of series one but without (the rather pertinent) Tess Harding. Sorry Tess fans, nothing personal!!

Enjoy! Please, please nourish the feedback monster!

* * *

Maria couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned for about two hours, dozing off occasionally but constantly waking at the slightest noise. Slipping off the bed and walking over the covers which she had managed to kick off earlier in the night, she peered out of the window, craning her neck to find the moon. Catching sight of it above the house, she was disappointed to see it wasn't a full moon. That was usually the reason for her restless nights. So what was it? Oh, there was the whole Michael thing.

Flinging open the window to let some fresh air into the increasingly hot and stuffy room, Maria threw herself onto the bed. She reached out one arm to the bedside table and rifled through her collection of aromatherapy oils. Usually inhaling some geranium oil or a bit of rose was all it took to pull her out of a depression and settle her mind.

Tonight, of course, was going to be an exception, because Michael had an irritating way of getting into a part of her mind which no aromas could reach. Instead she found herself thinking about the way his hair curled at his temple or the way he drew his eyebrows into a hurt puppy expression whenever he was worried.

Unconsciously, Maria found herself mentally tracing his figure from head to toe, vividly recalling the shape of his fingernails and the small scar just above his elbow. Sighing, she rolled over onto her side. God! Was she ever going to be able to get on with her life, a life without aliens, a life without Michael? There were plenty of other equally hot guys around campus, so why couldn't she tear her eyes away from the most anti-social guy in the whole of Roswell and turn her attention to someone who might appreciate it.

"Stop it!"

She barely whispered the words, but just hearing the sound of her voice outside her own head jolted her brain out of daydream mode. Running one hand through her bed-scruffed hair, Maria sat down beside the computer and switched on her Buddy System to see which of her friends might be surfing the net at this hour.

Unsurprisingly, Alex's name immediately popped up on the screen and Maria was about to flick it off because she wasn't in the mood for chatting about his lists. Secretly she had been hoping that Liz would be there but it would unusual for her to work late. Miss Parker was always the perfect student and never needed to do any late night studying. Besides, everything was perfect between her and Max so she was probably fast asleep, snuggled up with warm, cosy thoughts about their perfect life together.

Tugged back from her reverie, a message popped onto the screen. Now it was too late to avoid chatting to Alex and Maria could only hope that he was in a sympathetic "girly-guy" mood.

ALEX:Hey, don't girls do beauty sleep at about this time?

MARIA: What does beauty matter when your love life sucks?

She was faintly amused by how long it took for Alex to respond to that particular remark and she was about to sign off when he wrote again.

ALEX:You know you always look beautiful to me.

MARIA: Well done I can see you've been practising your flattering skills on Isabel.

ALEX: Yeah, well the less said about that the better.

MARIA: I think we're in the same boat.

ALEX: I feel that it is time I was brutal with you, Maria. Get over him! He's never going to be the boyfriend you want.

Maria was about to burst into an 'I didn't ask for your opinion' speech when she remembered that that was exactly what she had been doing and, for once, somebody was being honest with her about Michael. She quickly skirted the subject and said she was going to bed, hoping Alex hadn't caught on to her hurt feelings.

Huddling down under the duvet, her mind was in even more of a scramble than it had been before she had spoken to her friend. Why did Michael have to be such a difficult person to go out with? She never knew from one day to the next whether they were in a relationship together or if they had cooled off to being friends again. It may be sickening to see Liz and Max in each other's laps every day but at least everyone knew how they felt about each other. More to the point, Liz and Max knew how they felt about one another. Their relationship seemed so easy, if you discounted the life threatening situations they encountered on a daily basis, and it showed. They craved each other's company like honey bees crave pollen, instinctive and natural. If there was one thing Maria knew for certain, it was that she could never achieve that with Michael. Caught up in her uncertain thoughts, Maria eventually drifted to sleep.

* * *

Liz Parker picked up her blue blouse off the bed and held it up in front of the mirror, chewing her bottom lip with the anxiety of having to choose a different and sexy outfit to grab Max's attention every day. Okay, so he didn't exactly need any more encouragement, but it made Liz feel good inside to know that she was like a tantalising gift that he couldn't open until after second period.

Flinging the blouse back on the bed, she toyed with the idea of the new T-shirt she bought from the mall a couple of days ago. It had a subtly glittering butterfly design across the front and Liz wasn't sure if it was a little too dressy for school. Checking her reflection again, she shrugged to herself. Max was worth a little glitter and it wasn't like she was going to wear a mini dress into class. Bidding farewell to her father, she headed out the door.

At school, she was greeted with squeals of admiration from Maria but, true to form, Michael didn't notice anything different and Alex had to be nudged before he could find anything particularly complimentary to say.

"You look very sparkly, uh, it's nice."

Maria rolled her eyes. "You look stunning, Liz. God, how do you look this great so early in the morning? It doesn't matter what time I get up, I always look swollen and puffy until after first period."

She glanced at Michael, vainly expecting some kind of comforting remark or boost.

Picking it up for him, Liz protested, "No, you don't, Maria You always look great. Right, Michael?"

His attention was already directed down the corridor where Max and Isabel were walking towards the group, deep in conversation over something.

Liz tried again, "Michael?"

He blinked in half acknowledgement, looking briefly in his girlfriend's direction. "Uh, yeah, sometimes you get that thing with your face in the morning, but it's fine."

Liz and Maria exchanged exhausted glances but all was dismissed when Max whistled through his teeth at the dark-haired beauty before him.  
"Wow, who is this mistress of darkness? She is ravishingly beautiful."

Placing his hands on Liz's hips, he pulled her playfully towards him and leaned down to kiss her. Everyone duly averted their eyes, talking about mundane school stuff.

Liz pulled away, smiling. "I was thinking about you all last night."

"Well, that's strange because so was I."

Their laughter carried down the hallway as the bell rang and everyone else began hurrying off to their first class. Maria attempted to steer Max in the direction of their German room before quickly snagging Liz, "Hey, are you working tonight?"

"Yeah, of course You are, too, right?"

Maria nodded and pursued Max down the corridor. Liz rummaged around for the right books in her locker and headed towards the Maths room. She'd better get into best friend sharing mode because when Maria checked up on what she was doing later it always meant that she was worried about something and wanted to talk. Not that Liz minded exactly, they were best friends after all, but sometimes she doubted if she would be able to find anything else comforting to say to Maria about Michael.

He was difficult at the best of times and, while Liz could see perfectly easily why he was so attractive to Maria, she was torn between loyalty to her friend's pain and the rare moments when the couple were actually happy. If one weighed up the times that they argued and the times that they were passionate together, well, it probably wasn't a good idea.

All thoughts of Maria were shoved to the back of Liz's mind when she noticed that Michael had followed her into the classroom and was about to sit down beside her, despite the fact that he had never taken design. Snagging him by the sleeve, Michael looked at her with a mixture of irritation and surprise, "What?"

"Michael, you don't take design. Don't you have English in 4B?"

He looked confused for a second, glancing round the room as if he had finally reached his home planet without realizing it.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot. See you later, Liz."

Without even looking at her he headed back into the hallway. Liz knew better than to leave it as just a case of early morning forgetfulness. If there was one thing she had learned during her time with the Czechoslovakians, it was that nothing was meaningless, and Michael was a particularly solid example of it.

Following him out, she asked, "Michael, are you okay?"

He stared at her blankly and glanced down at his books as if he had never seen them before, "Yeah, I'm fine, why?"

Liz opened her hands out in a gesture of surrender, "Perhaps because you're completely out of it this morning!"

He looked at her with the accusing expression that only Michael could perfect in the most intimidating way.

"So I'm a little tired, since when was that a crime?"

Liz was about to protest but decided that getting into any kind of argument or discussion with him was useless and pointless right now, especially since Mrs. Matheson was heading down the hallway towards them.

Michael glanced back at the English room door that had just been closed and mumbled, "Yeah, well, see you later."

Turning back into her own classroom, Liz tried to remind herself that Michael was the most paranoid of the lot of them and it didn't take much to send his conscious mind careering into zones that no mere human could reach him in. It was nothing to worry about. Wasn't that what she had always told herself never to believe?

* * *

"And then he ate it!"

Isabel was relieved that she had not been around to hear the beginning of Alex's little anecdote, especially considering the disgusted expression on Maria's face and her sudden decision to leave the rest of her lunch.

Alex turned to his sometime girlfriend with a wide grin, no doubt revelling in the glory of achieving the desired effect from today's horrible story.

"Is, you've got to hear this."

He was waving his hands about to illustrate the beginning of the tale before Isabel managed to silence him.

"I wouldn't bother unless you want my yoghurt all over your head."

Alex weighed up the pros and cons of taking the blonde on her word before deciding that her smile only hid a serpentine venom he really shouldn't mess with. Settling back against his usual tree trunk, he sipped his drink demurely, batting his eyelids affectionately in Isabel's direction in the hope of appeasing her.

Max joined them, his hand locked with Liz's in their usual lover's grip, as if the whole country's army wouldn't be able to tear them apart. Sometimes it was a sickening sight to see two people so in love but occasionally, very occasionally, Alex thought, it was quite inspiring. It reminded him of the moments when he had felt like the closest person in the world to Isabel, when it seemed he was even more important to her than Max or Michael. Right now though, all he could think of was how depressing it must be to think you've found 'the one' so early in life, to not want to test other candidates out. How boring is that? Mind you, Maria would argue that if 'the one' was going to be Keanu Reeves, every girl in the world would be happy to settle for their first love.

"Hey guys, have you seen Michael since this morning?"

Max's voice was casual but Isabel immediately queried her brother, "Why? What's wrong?"

Max glanced at Liz, as if willing her not to say anything more. Liz had known him long enough to understand even the slightest flicker of an eyelash and kept her lips pursed as Max merely shrugged off his sister's concern.

"Nothing, there's nothing wrong. I just haven't seen him all morning and Liz said he seemed kind of distracted this morning."

Alex let out a snort of discontent. "Knowing Michael he will have gone and got himself into some kind of trouble or other. I expect he's sitting in Valenti's office talking his way out of a breaking and entering as we speak."

Isabel shot him a cold look, clearly the scenario was too close for comfort. "Sorry."

Maria attempted a lame joke to cheer everyone up but only succeeded in highlighting the unpleasant possibilities of where their friend might be or what he might be doing.

Liz pulled Max down to the ground beside her, opening her lunch box and offering him a sandwich. She was aware of Isabel's eyes boring into her, wondering how much the pair of them were hiding from her. Despite the hardships the group had all endured together, they managed to build more secrets and cover-up stories than the US government and Max looking around the quad suspiciously did not help matters at all.

They were spared any further inquisition as the familiar figure of Michael sauntered over to where the group were sitting, his eyes concentrating hard on a huddle of teenagers in the shadowy corner of the forecourt.

Maria squealed with something to be interpreted as delight when she spotted him, about five minutes after everyone else.

While Alex cracked yet another inappropriate joke at Michael's expense, Isabel was watching her fellow alien with disconcerting intensity, tracking his gaze over to where the huddle of people were standing. There was nothing particularly suspicious about them, in fact, she recognized two of them from the groupies who sat on the bleachers during cheerleading practice, so what was he looking at so intently?

Michael didn't sit down when he reached the others, but stuffed his hands in his pockets and shifted uncomfortably beside Maria.

Isabel held out a packet of crisps in the hope of luring him to sit down, "What's up, Michael?"

Maria was busy picking at the contents of her sandwich but turned her attention to her boyfriend, "Yeah, we were just debating where you'd disappeared to. Sit down."

He shook his head, "No I was thinking I might skip school this afternoon. I need you guys to cover for me."

Suddenly, everyone's attention was directed at him, waiting for an explanation. Max couldn't stand the suspense any longer.

"Come on, Michael, what gives?"

"Haven't you heard about that new building that's being put up outside town?"

The group looked at him blankly except Liz who could see where this was going and decided to try and diffuse the situation. "Yeah, I saw an article about it in the papers. Some branch of the government have taken up the land rights to a plot outside Roswell and I think building started a few weeks ago."

Michael was nodding, fiercely, waiting to get in his say. "Yeah and we don't need Einstein to tell us why they're here."

Max felt his heart sink, all of them were worried about being hunted but sometimes he felt that Michael was willing to latch onto any scare mongering and run with it. His tone was light, if not somewhat exasperated when he said, "They're not looking for us, Michael"

"Come on, Maxwell! Why else would they be here?"

Maria chimed in, hoping that between the lot of them they could calm him out of his paranoia.

"They're a branch of the government. It could be anything, tax offices, housing projects, anything."

Liz backed her friend up, saying, "Maria's right. If the government were going to do some secret testing or anything related to alien hunters, they wouldn't let the public know. They certainly wouldn't let the newspaper run a story on it."

Michael ran one hand through his hair, trying to control his rising temper, "I can't believe you are all trying to dismiss this! Why would they build offices here? As for the newspapers, of course they'd publicise it, it's a cover!"

Isabel, who had remained quiet throughout all if this, suddenly spoke, "I agree with Michael. They know they can't hide the fact that they're building something, so the best they can hope for is to let everyone know so we won't suspect anymore."

Max's jaw dropped open, "I can't believe you're going with Michael on this, Isabel!"

Michael's temper was becoming harder to control, "Why, because you'd rather play at being Joe Normal? Face it, Max, you'd rather ignore all of this than jeopardize your perfect little life."

Liz gripped her boyfriend's hand, knowing how much Michael's words cut him. They only opened new wounds that the pair of them had been trying so hard to heal, or at least ignore.

The aliens' destiny was something which no one could stand in the way of, let alone mere human girlfriends, and Liz couldn't deny that there were times when both of them chose to ignore negative signs rather than contemplate a future without each other.

Max harnessed his desire to punch Michael out and stood up, slowly but steadily.

"I don't know what you think you can achieve by snooping around government property like you have something to hide, but I'm not going to be party to it. You're on your own, Michael."

He looked sternly at his sister whose expression proved to him that her loyalties were just as divided as his were. They both knew that Michael could be right and that they would both go to his aid no matter what he said or did to them. However, Max knew that he had to be firm with Isabel. He was her brother and it was his duty to look out for her no matter what. He also knew that nothing would be gained from pushing her.

He leaned down to kiss Liz and said, "I've got to get to class, set up an experiment. See ya."

He headed towards the science building, trying to ignore the irregular beat of his heart which always signalled the onset of faint panic in his mind, the renewed uncertainty of where his life was headed or if it would be cut short just around the corner.

* * *

Isabel had a free period that afternoon which made her an extra special worry for Max since he would have no idea where she was or what she was doing. If Michael was planning a little sortie out to the latest government building, Max would just have to pray that she had the common sense not to follow.

Much to his relief, she never liked to think of herself as stupid and her stubbornness fell behind her better judgement on this one.

"Come on, Isabel, don't you think this is pretty suspicious?"

Michael was pacing in front of her desk in the library. Fortunately, that particular room was the least popular by every student's standards, so the pair had it all to themselves.

"I don't know, Michael. It just seems a little risky."

Michael gave her a condescending look, "Everything's risky, Is. We're hardly normal teenagers here!"

Isabel shook her head, her curled hair bouncing round her face.

"I know, Michael, but we shouldn't get involved in anything unless we are sure there is something substantial there. If we start snooping, it will only look like we're paranoid. She took one look at the manic glint in her friend's eyes and couldn't help but giggle. "Which you are."

Michael gave her a withering look which she chose to ignore but his silence was a good sign that he was thinking about what she was saying at least.

"If there's nothing suspect about it, then we'll soon be able to find out what's going on without spying. If the place has been built with alien hunting in mind, then we should lie low for a while until we can figure out a more foolproof way of getting our information."

Michael sat down and began fiddling with the stationary on the desk, sorting them into piles of pencils and pens.

Isabel waved her hands in front of his face, "Michael. Picking up some of my bad habits?"

He looked at her in surprise and she motioned to the neat collection of HB pencils beside him. One of her favourite pastimes in periods of stress was to sort things out, whether it be colour coding her wardrobe or cataloguing her nail varnishes by make and colour.

She stifled the grin which began to emerge from the prospect of initiating Michael into the world of make up, but managed to focus her mind back on the issue at hand.

"So, what do you say?"

He chewed the bottom of his lip for a moment, staring at her intently as she gave him the potted version of her lecture. "We lie low until we either have a solid lead or we find out that they're just manufacturing government letterheads."

She was surprised at her own sense of relief when Michael reluctantly agreed and decided to return to his afternoon classes.

Turning her attention back to the chemistry book she had laid out in front of herself, Isabel tried to forget every worrying concept he had put in her mind since that morning.

As she leafed through the pages without taking in a single word, she sat back in her chair and let her gaze wander to the window where all the other students who had no lessons that hour were wandering. Some were sunning themselves on the grass, their shirts riding up to expose the pale flesh of their stomachs in the hope of catching a tan before they were called back inside. A few were playing some silly game involving throwing an opened bottle of water around, but most were simply lounging under the trees, relishing some moments of freedom.

Typical, Isabel thought.

Outside, everyone else her age was enjoying themselves, living out their teenage years the way they were supposed to and here she was sitting inside wondering whether to break into a government building or wait and see if she was caught by authorities and subjected to torturing tests for the remainder of her life.

Isabel sighed, they didn't even know how old they all were anyway. She could be forty but in relation to how long an alien lived, she could be only a baby with another hundred human years to endure on this planet. Why was everything so complicated? She would trade her entire existence just for a day of being a normal human being, someone who belonged in this world and had nothing to hide. There were days when she felt a pit in her stomach like something gnawing away at her insides or like she had swallowed a weight. Most of the time she barely noticed it, but there were times like today when her freaky life just got a little freakier and the all too familiar sense of isolation closed in around her.

Michael was right, they might be endangering themselves sooner if they started delving into the new government property now, but it was only to save themselves more pain later. Just like Michael, she and Max were different and there was no point in denying it. She didn't want to be as rash as her friend, but no matter which way they looked at it, the government were the enemy and it was their job to check them out before they got checked out themselves.

Shutting the book with a slap, Isabel headed to her next class, her mind dosed up on a mixture of apprehension and a sense of purpose. The job description was clear, aliens were to be exterminated or at least found and tested on. Isabel was an alien and, along with Max and Michael, it was her role to do everything in her power to prevent being killed or discovered. They had all had too many near misses in their time to dismiss this as nothing important.

* * *

"I just feel like we don't communicate anymore."

Liz grabbed the sugar decanter from Maria before it spilled all over the counter and gave them something else to clear up. The Crashdown Cafe had been pretty quiet that evening, much to both girls' relief, but that didn't mean that there wasn't plenty to keep them occupied.

In Liz's case, her main issue was keeping Maria calm enough to actually serve a customer it they should turn up, and she wasn't doing a particularly impressive job.

"Well, it isn't like you two have ever really communicated that much, Maria. I mean, maybe you should just accept that Michael doesn't want a girlfriend like that."

The blonde stared at Liz with a expression of sheer shock that she could betray her in matters of the heart and put her hands firmly on her hips, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, thanks for the support, Ricki, I always knew I could rely on you to make me feel better."

Liz shrugged, her sympathy was wearing off this evening. She had been unable to tear her mind away from Max's expression when they had parted ways at the end of school. His eyes had held that 'thing' that always meant he wasn't saying everything he felt. It was unlike him to hide stuff from her after everything they had gone through together and it was disconcerting that he had chosen to hide it from her now. When he did that, it always spelt trouble. It meant that he was trying not to involve her in something invariably dangerous. Unfortunately for Maria, this fear made Liz's interest in boy trouble dwindle down to a par with what lipstick to wear with which dress.

"Look, I'm sorry, Maria. I just..."

Her voice trailed off, unsure of what else she could say now. Her words about Michael might have been painful but, Max concerns or no Max concerns, it was still the truth and a truth which Maria chose to overlook with every day of conflict that passed between the couple.

Maria spared her the torture of continuing her sentence as she sat heavily on one of the bar stools.

"No, Liz, you're right. We both want different things from a relationship."

She looked past her friend at the clock on the wall with a picture of a little green alien on the glass centre.

"Michael isn't normal and what he needs most of all at this point is support, unconditionally."

She focused her attention back on Liz, who had suddenly jolted her mind back to Maria's words, "And you know, the funny thing is, despite all my ranting about him, I am happy to be that person, Liz. It sounds corny but, even when I hate him, I know in my heart that I would walk to the other end of the earth just to be there for him."  
Liz nodded, knowing that Maria was right. That was exactly how she felt about Max. She would do anything if it meant being close to him.

Drawing a deep breath, she put the napkins she had been fiddling with out on the counter top. Beneath all the fuss and chatter, occasionally Maria managed to capture the crux of the problem and this was one of those moments. It didn't matter if Max couldn't tell him what was bugging him because she could stand by him without a reason, she would always stand by him.

Just at that moment Max entered, followed by Isabel and Michael, prompting Maria to be her usual spontaneous self as she ran over to hug her boyfriend.

He looked surprised and even more awkward than usual but his hands went around her waist and kissed her anyway. The others chose to ignore this saccharine show of affection, sitting down at the counter opposite Liz.

"Can I have an Alien Blast?"

Liz nodded, her eyes trailing away from Max, who was staring firmly at the menu in front of him. Isabel immediately sense the tension and caught Liz's anxious stare so made an unusually tactful exit, "I think I'm going to put some music on."

Watching until she had reached the jukebox, Liz put one hand out to Max, "Max, what's going on?"

He looked up, eyebrows raised in mock ignorance, "What do you mean? There's nothing going on."

Liz pursed her lips and pulled her hand away, realising that if he had got as far as lying to her there was definitely something to worry about.

"You're going out to that place, aren't you?"

He said nothing but his silence spoke volumes, "I can't believe you could be that stupid, Max."

At this, he protested, "Why, Liz? We're just trying to protect ourselves."

"No, Max, you're looking for trouble where there isn't any and drawing attention to yourselves. There's nothing to gain through this, nothing at all."

His eyes searched her face, probing into her mind as she stared at him in horror.

It wasn't that this plan came as a surprise but a small part of Liz Parker had been trying to gloss over the truth with some elaborate story involving secret picnics or something equally idealistic. It was the tone in his voice which was the most frightening thing, the fact that he wasn't just giving in to one of Michael's hair-brained schemes, he genuinely believed it to be a good idea.

"What if you get caught, Max? How's that going to look? People already suspect you."

He reached out to her but she pulled her hands away from him in disgust.

Max paused for a second, finally noticing how upset she truly was. "We won't get caught. We'll be careful."

Liz shook her head, trying to get her head around the matter. These conversations were so surreal. Here she was worrying that her boyfriend might get arrested or worse for trespassing on government property while other kids were doing homework and getting grounded and she was powerless to stop him.

Isabel chose a completely inappropriate song about the death of a loved one and came back to the counter, followed by Maria and Michael.

Liz's attention was still fixed on Max, "Everything is so quiet at the moment, Max. We haven't had any trouble for months. I'm asking you, please don't do this."

Their eyes locked in a moment of mutual comprehension. Whatever he chose to do at this juncture was going to have a deep effect on their relationship.

"Liz, I swear we'll be careful Nothing's going to happen."

"Max, if you do this, it's over."

Her heart jolted with the words, as much of a surprise to her as it evidently was to Max. He just sat there, staring back at her blankly, as if he didn't believe it. Swallowing hard, he glanced at Michael and Isabel who seemed to be in shock as well.

To any outsider, the moment would be laughable, the idea that a teenage break-up should be of such significance to so many people, but Liz was deadly serious and they all knew what an impact it would have on the group.

"I'm sorry, Liz, I've got to know."

Liz wished the floor could open up and swallow her as her heart pounded in her chest and she began to feel dizzy. It was like the whole world had ground to a halt with his words and it was all she could do to turn away from him and walk out.

Max exchanged empty looks with the others before getting up and disappearing outside. Isabel looked at Michael then called, "Max, wait!" She followed him outside.

Maria squeezed Michael's hand and headed into the back room to deal with Liz. God knows what a wreck she would be after a break up like that.

"Max, wait up!"

Isabel caught her brother just as he was pulling out of the parking space, forcing him to stop.

"Are you coming?"

She made no move to get in, her eyes betraying a mixture of expectancy and disapproval, "Max."

Staring ahead through the windshield, he refused to meet her questioning gaze. "Don't say anything, Is, okay? I don't want to hear it."

Knowing that this must be tearing him apart inside, she glanced back at the Crashdown before clambering in beside her brother. The wheels squealed and they sped off down the main street.

* * *

Alex had been waiting for Liz for over an hour and was beginning to regret his decision to wait on the front step for her. It was starting to get dark and chilly, two particularly unpleasant factors when you're only wearing a thin T-shirt and had forgotten a jacket. Examining the hands on his watch for the umpteenth time that minute, he decided that perhaps she had forgotten after all and he should just give up on the possibility that he was ever going to pass English this year.

Sneaking back inside, already smarting at the prospect of being laughed at by his brothers for not having a social life 'again', Alex braced himself for the horrific task involving studying by himself.

* * *

Maria found Liz changing out of her waitress uniform quietly and methodically, carefully folding the apron and placing the alien head band on top.

This was not a good sign. Any healthy boyfriend dumper would be throwing things around and making angry noises. When things got really quiet, that was the time to worry.

"Liz?"

Maria was surprised by the meekness of her own voice, a new level of sympathy tone that she had never reached before.

"Are you okay?"

Turning to her friend, Liz managed to shake off the dead, fixed eye thing she had been drawn into and her voice was dead when she spoke.

"I'm fine, I'm good."

Maria watched her closely as if she were some specimen which was about to melt into a puddle of goo in a matter of seconds. Dragging her over to a chair, she forced Liz to sit down.

"This is just shock talking. You just need to let it all sink in. Here, have some cedar oil."

She went to her locker and began rummaging around for the vials she always kept in her bag. Typical that they should disappear into the black hole at the bottom of it just when she needed them most. In fact she probably needed it more than Liz.

"Oh my God, Maria, what have I done?"

Maria turned back to the table and was met with two wild, wide, brown eyes.

"Hey, don't stress, Liz! You just had a lover's spat, all right. It's nothing major, is it?"

Liz stared at her blankly as if she expected her best bud with the completely dysfunctional love life to have the right answer.

"I don't know, Maria. I...it just came out. One moment I didn't know what to say and the next minute I was breaking up with him. God, Maria, what am I going to do?"

Maria's mouth opened and closed a few times, uncharacteristically lost for words, even stupid ones, before she finally managed to form a sentence.

Kneeling in front of Liz's chair, she said, "Stay calm, Liz. Panic is my department. You can do this, you can live and breathe without Max Evans. You've done it for over fifteen years and you can do it again."

Liz nodded, perhaps a little too fiercely for it to be believable, more a case of 'who are you trying to convince' than the response Maria had been hoping for.

"Take deep breaths and put it in perspective."

Liz followed the instructions, putting her hands flat on the table and closing her eyes as she drew in lungfuls of air.

"Okay, I'm looking at the bigger picture. My name is Liz Parker and I'm just a girl who is...in love with Max Evans and I can't believe I just finished it with him. Oh, Maria!"

Maria sat down on the other chair.

"Jesus, that floor has done horrible things to my knees."

Rubbing them harshly with the palms of her hands, she looked her friend in the eyes.

"Listen, Liz. You don't have to see it like that, okay. Max loves you and you love him. This is just a short-term thing, I promise. You two are made for each other, inseparable. Just give it a day or two and everything will go back to normal."

Liz nodded more positively this time which was definitely an improvement.

She hugged her tightly to her chest. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

Liz suddenly pulled away, gasping, "Oh God! I promised Alex I'd meet him to help with his English assignment."

Maria followed her friend's gaze up to the clock, "What time was that?"

"Eight o'clock."

They both burst into giggles at exactly the same time. There was nothing like a tense situation to make the most ridiculous things seem humorous.

"Well, girl, I think you've blown that date."

Smiling, Maria helped Liz gather up her stuff and they slipped out of the back door to her car.

* * *

It was a good thing that aliens didn't need as much sleep as humans because Max barely got any that night. Isabel had steered clear of him all evening in the hope that he might just snap out of it - like that was going to happen. Liz had just broken up with him because she was so worried that he might get hurt or killed trying to find information out there, only proving again how much she cared for him.

Typical, he thought, that he would go and blow it, choose Michael's stupid paranoid plan over the person he loved most in the entire world. As if they hadn't been through enough, he had to make matters worse, or perhaps the worst part was knowing that Liz hadn't meant a single one of the three words. "It is over." She had only said it because she was frightened afraid for him.

Whacking his pillow hard in the pathetic guise of plumping it up, Max turned to the wall, his fingertips itching with the self-  
loathing he felt but for which he had no ventilation point. Closing his eyes, he placed one hand over each temple and took deep breaths, trying to envisage anything other than Liz, like a walk in the mall with Isabel...where Liz was also shopping, her silky, dark hair lightly resting on her bare shoulders with their chocolately smooth texture. God! How he wished tomorrow would come quickly so that he could talk to her, try and apologise, give up on the original plan and go to her. One more moment of happiness with Liz was better than a thousand years of not knowing what lay beyond the town limits.  
Resigning himself to the fact that this night was going to be too torturous to sleep through, he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, allowing the fleeting images of Liz to parade across his mind just to remind him of how stupid he truly was.

* * *

Liz was apprehensive to say the least when she got up for school the next day, half fearful that Max would turn up to take her to school in his jeep and even more fearful that she wouldn't see him at all.

Fortunately, Maria had offered to give her a lift in her mom's car, so Liz was covered for the first worry of the day. Her best friend honked the horn about fifteen minutes before they were supposed to be in class (a typical Maria habit that always put Liz on edge, wondering whether to take the bus which would make her late anyway or wait for her friend who would probably burn rubber and get them there in time for first class or not show up at all). It was a guessing game Liz didn't like being a part of but this morning there was no choice and, even though she would like to see if Max had turned up, she didn't mind a few more minutes of her romance-free environment.

She had just been debating whether she had time for another cup of coffee when Maria had got there, apologising profusely.

"My mom was being a complete pain. She decided that she needed to go to the store to pick up groceries and wanted the car, but she didn't tell me so I got up at my usual time only to find the car wasn't there."

She wittered on for a few more minutes before she noticed that Liz's attention was firmly fixed on the street outside and started apologising again for being insensitive.

"You don't need to apologise, Maria, I just... Well, I'm just gearing myself up."

Maria nodded and much to Liz's horror, she turned in her seat and began rummaging around in her bag for another vial of one of her oils.

"Here, I made this for you last night. I figured you could use a bit of a pep talk, so this is for when I'm not there to give you a boost."

She punched her friend's arm affectionately and smiled a cheesy grin, forcing Liz to return an obliging smile, "Thanks, Maria I think I'm going to need it."

Pulling up outside the school only presented another concern that had completely slipped Liz's mind - Alex's study date. Catching up with him in the hallway, she tried her most earnest smile but he looked pretty unconvinced.

"Alex, I'm so sorry."

He gave her a mock, cold stare which he couldn't contain for long before breaking into a laugh.

"It's okay, I heard."

Liz frowned for a second, "How? Who told you?"

Putting a protective arm around her, Alex tried to look cool and aloof.

"Oh, on the grapevine. You're a very popular subject of discussion right now, Miss Parker."

Liz gave Maria a horrified stare, "What?"

Maria raised her hands in mock surrender, widening her eyes in protest, "Hey, I didn't say a word!"

Liz turned back to Alex, providing her best 'don't mess with me' expression. "If you've put my private affairs on one of your internet lists, I'll..."

Alex grabbed some books from his locker. "Relax, Liz, nobody knows. I just thought a scare was the least you deserved for  
keeping me waiting on my front doorstep for over an hour."

Liz nodded in acknowledgement, "Touché."

Linking her arm through his and Maria's, they began walking down the corridor. "So, I suppose you didn't get anything done last night, then?"

Alex opened his mouth in shock, as if someone had shot him through the heart, "How can you say that, with my reputation? I don't need you to help me study!"

Both girls looked at him, suspiciously, and he looked down sheepishly "Well, you know, the usual kind of studying...a bit of Oprah, some old episodes of 'The Incredible Hulk'. Good quality television that encourages the flow of energy in my mind thus facilitating my ability to complete assignments on time with the highest level of excellence."

Humouring him, the girls nodded seriously before Maria degenerated into fits of giggles. Their banter died down into awkward silence as they universally caught sight of Max heading in their direction. Not that it was much consolation, but he looked as uncomfortable as Liz felt, especially since he couldn't avoid going to his locker which was almost exactly where the group were standing.

Maria nudged her friend gently on the elbow before steering Alex away. For once, Liz felt abandoned and like her friend had read all her signals wrong. The last thing she felt she could handle right now was a conversation with Max. They had only broken up the day before so they certainly weren't ready for discussing where they went wrong or whether they should get back together. Her emotions were in complete turmoil, running from regretting she had ever opened her mouth to thinking that perhaps there was something to be said for her decision, no matter how hasty it might have been. Clearly, Max had other ideas and it didn't help that he looked even more sexy than usual, in a somewhat dishevelled way.

"Hi Liz."

"Hi." He watched her closely as she tucked her dark locks behind her ears in a motion he had seen her do thousands of times when they were together.

It suddenly felt strange that she should be doing that when he knew she was off limits to him. "Can we talk?"

Biting her lip with uncertainty, Liz was spared a response by the bell calling them off to first class. "I don't know, Max. I don't know if I'm ready."

His eyes locked with hers, pleading, "Please, Liz."

She glanced over his shoulder at Maria who was making exasperated faces in her direction, trying to hurry her up.

"Maybe later."

Max nodded quickly, his face lighting up a little. "How about after fourth period? We're both free, right?"

Liz had been hoping for a little more space than a couple of hours but it was obvious that Max was not going to back down and there was a really big part of her that liked that. She wanted to get back together just as much as he did, it was only the fact that she had dumped him in the first place that made her feel like she should stick to her guns for a while longer.

Nodding mutely, her gaze flitted over his face once before joining Maria and seeking the sanctuary of her English class.

* * *

Michael sat through morning lessons in his usual manner, his head firmly on anything other than school and today the subject was Maria. She had been unusually tactile last night before the whole Max and Liz blow-up and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. Well, that is to say, he liked it a lot, but that only complicated matters further. It meant that she was starting to feel things for him that he wasn't ready to reciprocate. He did love her and they had both said the big three words to each other before now so it was only natural that they should progress, right? It was only right that she want to be close to him, to hug and kiss him spontaneously without him freaking out about it. However, Michael was still frightened of what might happen if Maria stayed with him the way Liz clung to Max.

He hadn't managed to control his powers yet and on the occasions that he did, the results were catastrophic only highlighting the fact that he didn't want his girlfriend to ever be caught in the crossfire. He might be like an abusive husband, hurting her the way a drunkard might hit his wife and that was something Michael never wanted to be.

Everyone in the group had adopted a kind of role to play - Max was the level-headed guy who always considered the options before doing anything, Isabel was the matter-of-fact one who was around to diffuse the situation or say what no one else dared voice...but Michael? Everyone knew what his function was. He was the guy who went off half-cocked, ready to endanger his own life and the lives of his friends without a moment's thought. He succeeded in getting them into trouble at every turn and no matter how many times he tried to check these urges, they just pushed through his rational mind and clouded his judgement. That was the only thing holding him back from Maria, the fear that even though she wanted him in spite of all his faults, he was a bomb waiting to explode and not even he had a clue when that might be.

Called away from his reflections by the shrill sound of the bell, Michael grabbed his books and headed into the hallway, hoping to see his girlfriend. So they were both taking a big risk by getting into a relationship together, but he loved her and she loved him. Besides, every romance was tainted by a few 'what ifs'. Why should an alien's be any different?

* * *

Isabel had recognised the signs Max was giving out before she had even made it to her locker and immediately took a swerving right when she saw Liz approaching him. Now was definitely not the time to ask if she could borrow his chemistry book. Maybe Alex would do instead.

She found him with his head buried in his locker as if it were the Narnia wardrobe or something so she couldn't resist the urge to bang really hard on the door, startling him into knocking his head on the top He let out a yelp of pain then rubbed the top of his head, only managing to scruff his hair up instead.

Isabel could never get over how much of a geek he could be sometimes and yet still have something kind of attractive about him.

"Hi, Alex."

He fixed her with a cold stare but it didn't last long. "Do you always do that to your friends? Ouch!"

She laughed, tossing her blonde hair behind her shoulders. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. Besides, I need to borrow a book, but I guess if you could fit your head in there, I doubt there's much room for anything else."

He gave her another withering look and slammed the locker door shut. "Well, after a request like that I don't believe I have any books at school today. You'll just have to plead guilty and try to be humble. Oh, but then I doubt the ice princess has ever come across the word."

"Actually, I do. It is my slaves' favourite state. I am quite accustomed to humble."

Alex gave his head one last rub before nodding towards Max and Liz, "Yeah, well I think Max has got that covered right now."

Isabel followed his gaze to where her brother was standing, his body language betraying his discomfort. Liz didn't appear to be doing much better and, if they didn't know how serious it actually  
was, Isabel and Alex might have found the couple laughable.

Linking her arm through Alex's, Isabel steered him away from their friends and outside into the quad.

"I'm so glad you and I are cool, I mean, romantically."

Alex wasn't quite sure what to make of that statement. He knew that Isabel had never really fallen head over heels in love with him or anything and their getting together wasn't exactly the most promising of situations.

She was the most popular and desirable girl in school, perhaps to the entire teenage boy population of Roswell, but yet she had chosen to be with him, little old Alex Whitman, the school geek. He should be thanking his lucky stars that she was doing more than giving him the time of day, but somehow he still felt a bit deflated at the idea that their relationship was nowhere near as intense as Liz and Max's was. Okay, so it was true but he had always hoped that perhaps they were heading in that direction, moving towards something a little more permanent.

Oblivious to his own mental ramblings, Isabel continued, "It must be so exhausting playing those little cat and mouse games, don't you think? Imagine if you and I broke up every time I chose to do something you didn't like! I swear it would be like walking on eggshells your entire life."

Suddenly aware that Isabel had turned her attention towards the groups of people entering the sunshine, Alex nodded casually and decided to drop a hint while he wasn't under scrutiny.

"Yeah, a real relationship...it must be murder."

He hadn't intended it to sound so sarcastic but Isabel picked up on it instantly, "Don't you think we have a proper relationship?"

He regretted his words because now he was starting to feel foolish and embarrassed. Explaining emotions was never an easy thing for any guy, especially a guy who happened to be dating a gorgeous girl and who had very limited experience in that department. Tact was the key and Alex wasn't quite sure how much he had.

"I just think...it's not that..."

Isabel's eyes were getting stonier by the second until he felt certain she was going to either explode or storm off.

"Then what, Alex?"

Bracing himself he scanned his mind rapidly to come up with some convincing argument to settle this.

"Well, actually, I don't think we have a real relationship, not like Max and Liz, but that's not to say I'm not happy."

She was eyeing him suspiciously as if she was weighing up how honest he was being. Alex felt his face redden as he stammered to find the words, "I'm perfectly happy, Isabel, but don't you still count what we have as dating? I mean, we don't run to one another when we have a problem or follow each other round with doe eyes all day. It's just casual."

Unsure what effect belittling their situation would have, he was relieved when Isabel raised her eyebrows, indifferently, and bit into her apple. "I guess you're right, but still...it's good."

Alex nodded weakly. This was a debate he didn't want to get into right now, especially in a public place. Besides, the last thing the group needed was four people not talking to one another. The least he could do was save his romantic problems until Max and Liz had resolved theirs - one way or another.

* * *

"Do you want to go somewhere, you know, quiet and talk?"

Max's voice was tentative as if he barely believed that Liz might say 'yes'.

"Sure, I guess The music room is probably free right now."

Liz felt an overwhelming desire to back out of this conversation. She didn't feel distanced enough to be rational on any level and she could already hear her own hysterical voice echoing down the school corridors. To make matters worse, Max's determination to get her alone clearly meant he had something to say. No doubt he'd be Mr. Sense and Sensibility all rolled into one.

He held the music room door open for her and Liz stepped inside like a criminal readying herself for sentencing. Suddenly, her flight mechanism kicked in.

"Max, I don't think this is such a good..."

He cut her short. "Just hear me out, Liz." His brown eyes pleaded with her, silently begging her for a second chance. "Please."

Liz pursed her lips. She didn't want to make this easy for him but she was already melting under that steady gaze. Flinging her bag onto the floor, she leaned back against one of the tables, arms crossed over her chest in a stereotypically defensive stance.

"Fine. Talk."

Max paused. He hadn't prepared himself for the steely side of Liz Parker. Every time their eyes had met, he had recognized the hurt and sadness reflected there. Still, he had come this far.

"Liz, I'm sorry. I understand why you didn't want me to go with Michael and that's just one of the reasons why I love you so much..."

His voice trailed away but Liz made no attempt to respond. If Max wanted to appease her, he was going to have to do it all by himself. She certainly wasn't going to give him a helping hand.

Max reached out to touch her arm, pulling away at the last minute. "I love you, Liz. I don't want this to come between us."

Liz fixed him with emotionless eyes. "That doesn't change anything though, does it, Max?"

His hand dropped to his side and Liz knew this was not the reaction Max had been hoping for. Part of her didn't even know what she was doing. Her body yearned to take him in her arms, to kiss him and forget all about this foolish argument but with every step she took, Liz found herself making it harder and harder to succumb. She loved Max and Max loved her. That was what made it impossible to let go. If he left her now, he might never come back and that frightened her more than anything they had ever encountered before.

"Was that all?" Her voice was blank and Max didn't know what to say. She had blocked him out. Picking up her bag, Liz headed towards the door.

Her hand had just touched the door handle when Max's own closed over it. "Wait, Liz. No, that isn't all. You've got to understand."

Finally, Liz couldn't control herself any longer. She couldn't play the cool, aloof ex-girlfriend anymore. Her heart was tearing apart inside with the prospect of losing Max again. "I understand all too well, Max! That's the problem! I know what will happen if I let you go and I can't do that again!"

Her voice grew strangely strangled and she fought to keep some semblance of control in her shaking body. Max looked startled by this sudden outburst. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when Pierce took you? Max, I was so certain I had lost you. I sat there, uselessly, numb, not knowing if you were alive or dead or worse! But somewhere in my heart, I felt closer to you than ever. Somehow, I knew I'd feel it if...if you left me." Liz's voice stammered to a halt as Max's face contorted behind ripples of tears dancing in her eyes.

Max still said nothing.

"I can't do that again, Max. So, if you're going to leave me like that again, do it now ...because I've got to prepare myself. If I have to go through all of that again, I can't be with you."

For the first time, Max could see into the infinite. He could completely comprehend the depths of Liz's love. It was this that sealed their fate, that made their relationship whole yet doomed. It was a love which would always be tortured but they would always have to live through it, no matter how many miles apart they were.

"Liz, I'm sorry. If I could take it all back, I would. I love you." Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he continued. "And, if it's what you want, I won't go."

Liz smiled wanly, reaching her hand up to grip his. "If only it were that simple, Max." She closed her eyes, losing herself in the warmth of his skin against hers, the way he smelled and the gentle whisper of his breathing. Then, she felt herself moving away from him, watched her own hand turn the door knob as if in a surreal dream. Liz had no control over her own body.

Max's voice followed her, choked with emotion. "It is, Liz! Please, it can be that simple! You said it yourself...we're destined to be together."

Liz ducked out into the corridor, running out into the quad, unsure of where her feet would take her. All she knew was that she had to get as far away from Max as possible.

* * *

Isabel lay on her back on the bonnet of her mother's car. The desert air was chill against her flesh, but it was on the cold, clear nights that the stars were brightest. Gazing up into the blackness, she felt a shiver run through her body. Far above, amongst those fiery planets was her home, a home which still ran through her veins, a home still captured in the deepest recesses of her memory.

"Isabel Evans...Isabel Evans...Isabel...Isabel, Isabel..." The name began to sound stranger and stranger to her ears. She couldn't even imagine what kind of names she might have had on another planet. Would it resemble anything from Earth? Chinese? Russian? French?

Her eyes stung with tears. Every time it was time to make a decision about returning 'home', Isabel had found herself desperate to stay here in Roswell. She had a family. Her life wasn't perfect but sometimes she wondered what her home planet could offer which would be so much better.

Her loyalty to Max left her in a difficult predicament every time they returned to the cave. She wanted so desperately to tell her parents what they were, knowing in her soul that they would understand, but still Max refused. He told her she had to remain in Roswell regardless of her plans. Yet, no matter how angry she became, Isabel knew he was right, that she would follow him to the ends of the earth because he was their leader.

She tried to imagine another set of parents as loving and wonderful as those she had been blessed with on Earth up there in the sky. Did they look out at the stars as Isabel did and wonder where she was? Despite all the information the aliens had gleaned about the crash in 1947, Isabel always tried to set up a mental picture of a normal home and a normal family. Of course, she always knew it was nothing but a fabrication of her own making, but occasionally, Isabel liked to believe some of the familiar pictures she kept returning to might be fragments of memories.

It was impossible for Isabel to imagine the kind of contentment humans must be able to find. For an alien, the reaches of modern earth technology were disappointing. Man congratulated himself on reaching the moon while Isabel's home planet was light years away. Humans found solace in one another, in understanding their place in the universe. Their concerns about alien life forms were shrouded in doubt that such beings even existed. Isabel KNEW they did. She was testament to it. She knew so much information which didn't have any place on this rock and there were only two other people to share it with.

There was a world out there waiting for her. Isabel just had to accept she might never see it.

* * *

"Maria, quit it. I'm trying to work here." Michael tried to move his girlfriend's face away from his neck where she was nuzzling while he surfed the internet. He knew he was partly to blame for this sudden renewal of affection on her part but it was affecting his concentration.

Since deciding that it wasn't such a bad idea to let Maria get a bit closer to him, Michael had responded to her intimate relations a little too zealously the previous night. They had got hot and heavy before Liz had phoned and the evening had lost its clandestine charm.

Whatever he had felt that night though, Michael's attention was now firmly focused on finding out what the hell the government were doing back in Roswell.

"Maria! You're distracting me."

Ignoring his attempts to shrug her off, Maria breathed, "That's the idea, stupid."

Michael gripped her firmly by the shoulders, prying her off him. "Maria, please. This is important, okay."

Maria pouted and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Sor-ry. I don't know what you expect to find on the internet anyway. It's not like they'd be publicising their activities on a public website, Michael."

Michael snapped, "Yeah, well it's the best I've got to go on, all right."

Maria failed to see the warning signs in her boyfriend's body language and boldly continued, "I don't know why you didn't just go to the public records office. I mean..."

Michael put his hands to his head in a faint attempt at trying to quiet the voice drumming into his head. "Maria! Shut up! Just shut up! You are NOT helping here, all right!"

One of the things which made the couple's relationship so tumultuous was the fact that they were both stubborn and neither one of them knew how to back down. So, instead of walking away like Michael wanted, Maria decided to stand her ground.

"I can't believe you, Michael. Everything is more important than me, isn't it?"

Michael narrowed his eyes in half disbelief, his voice calm, "What? This has NOTHING to do with you.

"That's exactly my point! Nothing ever has anything to do with me. It's always about you and Isabel and Max. I swear, I wonder what I'm doing with you sometimes!"

Michael raised his eyebrows, keeping his reply to that question firmly behind closed lips. He had broken up with Maria way too many times not to have learned something about when he should let her rant for a while.

Maria's tone softened, "Then I remember all the things that make us good together. I think of nights like last night and the stupid little arguments we have and the important stuff."

"Yeah, and this is important stuff, Maria. I need this."

Maria nodded, solemnly. "That's just the problem, Michael. You DON'T need this. You just keep telling yourself that because you can't stand to keep still. You might hate to admit it, but I know you...better than you think."

Michael's hand was paused over the keyboard, refusing to meet her gaze but listening to every word. Maria turned his face towards her. "I know it's tough for you to act like a normal human being but can't you let go of being an alien for one minute?"

She knew how foolish her words sounded but they seemed to tumble out of her mouth, regardless.

Michael swallowed hard, his eyes wandering around the room, resting on anything but Maria's face. Finally, he focused on her. "I can't, Maria. It's who I am."

Maria felt frustration mounting inside her. She felt like screaming sometimes at the absurdity of it all. How could any of this be real? Dropping her head into her hands, she murmured, "I know...God, I know."

A surge of affection washed over Michael and he drew Maria's small frame into his arms, holding her against his chest. She gripped the front of his T-shirt tightly and he ran one hand through her silky, blonde hair.

Maria sighed, "I just wish we could be normal."

Michael nodded, grimly. "I know."

* * *

Wednesday passed like a funeral procession. Maria and Michael were sobering out, Max and Liz were still steering clear of one another despite constantly making eye contact throughout lessons. Isabel and Alex weren't much better. Alex's words out on the quad hadn't gone completely unhindered by his alien girlfriend but she was finally starting to understand why Michael had been so cold towards Maria for all that time.

She liked Alex, but then everyone did. Maybe there was nothing out of the ordinary between them. He was the school joker, always good for a laugh. That was it...right? It bothered Isabel how much she was dwelling on this. She had remained detached so far, why was it suddenly getting to her now?

Liz wasn't doing much better. Her talk with Max had only left her with even less idea of what she wanted to do. She wanted to talk to Maria but something told her that her best friend wasn't exactly in a happy place right now, either. In fact, it wasn't until halfway through a lesson on trigonometry that the answer came to her and Liz was itching to get out of school and complete her task.

As soon as the bell went, she grabbed her books and almost careered into Alex in an attempt to get to her locker. "Woah, Liz?! What's the rush? Science club isn't for another five minutes."

Failing to pick up on the joke, Liz stammered, "Sorry, Alex. I'm just...I'm in a real hurry."

"What for?" Maria sidled up alongside her two friends. "Anything I'd be interested in?"

This was not what Liz had been hoping for. Some privacy was what she needed right now. "Sorry, guys, but I really can't talk right now." Grabbing the remainder of her books from her locker, she marched off down the hall.

Maria exchanged a puzzled look with Alex whose attention was already starting to wander, before following her friend. "Liz! Wait up!"

Walking briskly alongside Liz, she asked, "Come on, Liz, what is it? Friends don't keep secrets."

Liz sighed, dragging Maria to one side. "Okay, but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone about this. It's just between us, right?"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

"I mean it."

Maria was hopping up and down with impatience. "Yes, yes, yes! Spit it out!"

Liz lowered her voice again. "I'm going to find out what's going on in that new building."

Maria's jaw dropped. "Liz, no! Why?"

"Because Max needs my help and I stand a better chance of getting information than any of them."

Maria drew Liz down onto the nearby wall. "Wait a minute, Liz. I thought you guys were still apart."

Liz kicked the dirt, casually, avoiding her friend's gaze. "We are."

"Then why? This doesn't make any sense."

"Well, I figured that maybe if I found out what's going on, prove that it has nothing to do with alien hunting, then he'd lighten up. He's only paranoid because, so far, he hasn't been given any reason to be otherwise. I'm sure I'm right, Maria. I just need to make Max see that not everyone is after him."

To her surprise, Maria didn't rant at her like she normally would. Instead, she said, "Well, I guess I'm in, too, then."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, if I can convince Michael there's no threat, I'm sure our relationship would improve."

Liz smiled, wryly. "God, what a pair we are! How did we ever get involved in all this?"

Maria linked her arm through her friend's and directed her towards the internet cafe. "I must ask myself that question about a zillion times a day and you know what?"

Liz looked at her, eagerly. She needed a boost and Maria always had the knack of saying just the right things. "What?"

"Every time it just gets harder to remember where it all began. We're stuck for good."

Liz felt herself deflate inside. Maria WAS right but not in the way she had hoped. "Come on. Let's grab a milkshake and get this over with."

Maria tightened her grip on Liz's arm, "Ride on, girl!"

"Are you coming or what?" Michael stopped short beside Isabel while she packed her bag.

"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm actually getting ready." Isabel brushed back strands of blonde hair from her face.

Michael, graceful as ever, snapped, "Yeah, well don't take all day, okay."

Grabbing her English file, Isabel followed him outside. "Don't get ratty with me just because you can't do things your way."

"Who says we're not going to do things my way? I just don't see why every step we take always involves some stupid meeting."

Isabel grinned, "Because we all know how much you hate them." Michael gave her a humourless smile and she looped one arm through his, adopting a silly voice. "Oh, poor Mikey."

She fell silent when she saw Max's grim expression as he waited for them by the school gates.  
"Max, what is it?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm fine. Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

Max was grateful to get down to business when the three aliens reached Michael's house. He needed to get his mind off everything that was happening with Liz and Isabel wasn't making it easy.

The whole walk from school had been taken up with her trying to cheer him up, telling him the whole thing would blow over before he knew it. The problem was, Max wasn't so sure. Every time he had Liz argued about something, he could see shadows passing across those brown eyes. A look of resignation settled there as if she knew that whatever they had together was never going to get easier. At every turn there was another reminder that their love was doomed to be fraught with one crisis after another. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more Max realized that their entire relationship was based on crises.

Michael had eventually silenced Isabel with some cutting comment about taking her own advice in relation to the way she treated Alex. Okay, so it was a cruel shot, but Max had to admit it got his sister off his back for a while.

They made drinks and Michael slumped back in an armchair, hitting the TV remote control. Max sighed. It was going to be one of those days.

"Michael?" His friend looked up with a complete air of innocence. Max gestured to the television. "Do you mind?"

"Fine." Michael hit the standby button and emphatically gave Max his undivided attention.

"Look, I know you hate this...organization, but..."

Michael waved his hand impatiently in the air. "Yeah, yeah, cut the speech, Max. We've all heard it a thousand times before."

Isabel caught her brother's quizzical gaze before turning away. She was always torn in these situations between her gut instinct to go with Michael and loyalty to Max. He was right, of course, he always was, but he could be such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes that Isabel felt ashamed of him.

Max began again. "I'm just trying to hold the group together here, Michael."

"Whatever, just get on with it."

Suddenly, Max snapped. "You know, Michael, have you ever wondered what would have happened if I hadn't been here?"

Michael raised an eyebrow, "I certainly wouldn't be sitting on my ass having meetings, that's for sure."

Max smiled, wryly. "No, you wouldn't. You'd probably be dead." Isabel stared at him in shock. She couldn't believe he was saying this. "As much as you hate to admit it, I'm the leader here. Both of you would be stuck without me. Okay, so get sick of meetings and discussions, but no one would expect you to understand how to function as a family, Michael!"

Michael suddenly dropped his angst-ridden teenager act and fell silent while Max continued, more softly. "I care about you...both of you. You're two of the most important people in the world to me...but we need each other. We were in those pods together for a reason and until we figure out what that reason is we owe to ourselves to stay alive, which means we have to act carefully."

Michael did not respond but Isabel knew the point had hit home. It was easy to forget that Max's prudish attitude was borne out of love and fear for the whole group...and not just it's alien members.

"Michael and I know that, Max," she reassured him. "Go on. What do you want us to do?"

Max sighed. "We have to act normally, go through all the normal channels. No snooping around private government property. It'll only make us look even more guilty."

Isabel nodded. "So what do you suggest?"

"Try going through the local newspaper. We could ask them if they know anything. We could go via some of the environmental groups. They are always up in arms about new buildings being erected all over the desert. Basically, until these people prove themselves to be a threat to us, we don't need to do anything radical. You got that, Michael?"

Michael nodded, soberly. "Loud and clear."

A voice came from behind them. "Does a cult rate high on the threat-o-meter?"

The three aliens turned to see Maria and Liz standing in the doorway. The brunette said, quietly. "It's not the government. It's a cult."

END OF PART ONE


	2. Chapter Two : Cruelty Has A Human Face

  
GODS AND MONSTERS 

By Allegra

(See Part One for disclaimers etc.) Please nourish the feedback monster.

CHAPTER TWO : CRUELTY HAS A HUMAN FACE

* * *

Maria was waving a piece of paper which she brought over to the rest of the group. Michael snatched it from her hand, perusing the page impatiently.

Liz's eyes met with Max's momentarily before quickly adopting a business-like tone. "I swept all the local internet sites. They didn't say for certain that the cult had set up there, but the police arrested some members outside Roswell a few months ago. Apparently, they assaulted some hitch hiker, believing him to be an alien returning to find his spaceship. Anyway, when the group were released, they declared that they knew the aliens are among us and that they'd track them down."

Maria grabbed the paper back from Michael, reading, "And get this. They raised over five million dollars from their members and other believers which they intend to use on state of the art facilities in New Mexico."

Max could barely believe what he was hearing. It couldn't be true. All those alien conspiracies had died away to a few haphazard tourists and the occasional joke. Surely nobody would take alien hunting that seriously anymore.

Isabel shivered slightly. "We've got to get out of here."

Michael stood up quickly. "No! I say we stick to our guns. I mean, it's not like they're going to get anything on us. Come on, they're loony tunes."

Max whispered, "We don't know that, Michael. I mean, we're here, aren't we?"

Liz could feel the tension rising tangibly around the group. None of them were going to admit it, but the idea of some cult running around trying to hunt them down was a more terrible prospect than any government branch snooping around. "Listen, guys, whoever these people are, we have to keep it in perspective. We have to find out as much as possible about them, their philosophies, motives, equipment, funds, the lot."

Max nodded. "Liz is right. We mustn't panic."

Michael snapped, "Hey, I'm not panicking, Maxwell."

Liz looked over at Isabel and it became clear who was really at the heart of Max's comment. The blonde's face was ashen, her eyes resembling a deer caught in the headlights. She was wringing her hands, her face distant as if she were consumed by a tide of overwhelming emotions.

Liz motioned to Max, who knelt in front of his sister, putting a placating hand on her shoulder. "Is, look at me." Her gaze faltered fleetingly before locking onto his reassuring face. "We'll figure this out. Everything's going to be okay."

Isabel pursed her lips, her brow creasing into a concerned frown. She nodded emphatically but Max knew better than to take that as proof of her feelings. Still, there was little he could do about it right now. He couldn't make these empty promises any more. He needed to make her believe him.

Standing up, he turned to Liz. "Liz, did you find anything else? Anything at all?"

Liz glanced over at Maria. "Um, we found a few other links but nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, we could check those other sources if you want."

Maria flicked one hand nonchalantly in the air. "Yeah, there was something about a local meeting, some kind of speech at the town hall."

Michael bristled with energy. "When?"

Maria shrugged. "I can't remember. Liz and I can check it this evening."

"Yeah, great. Do it now."

Maria rolled her eyes in disgust. "Yes, sir!"

Michael refused to rise to the bait. This was exactly what happened every time there was a crisis. He would be trying to deal with the situation while Maria went completely off her head about their relationship, what a negligent boyfriend he was, how cold he was, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes, he could happily wring her neck for the trouble she caused.

Liz caught his weary expression and with her customary tact, glossed over the situation. "We don't have to be at the Crashdown until six. Maria and I will do it on the way home."

Max nodded, "Thanks, Liz." She smiled curtly. The look in his eyes was so intense like he was desperately trying to communicate something to her, but Liz wasn't ready to get into another discussion just yet. Besides, it was more important that they deal with the bigger picture and not get waylaid with their relationship. That was a whole different ball game, after all.

* * *

"Isabel!" Alex caught up with his girlfriend as she strode purposefully down the main street. She didn't stop, as if she couldn't even hear him and it took him a few minutes of shouting before she turned her head.

Catching his breath, Alex asked, "Didn't you hear me? I was calling from down the street."

Isabel glanced down the road as if expecting him to still be there. "Uh, no. I was just thinking about other stuff."

"Well, I was just going to ask if you wanted to go to The Folk Implosion concert with me this Friday. They're in town and my friend said he could get me the tickets so..."

"I don't think so, Alex. Thanks anyway."

Alex tried to hide his disappointment. "Sure, that's fine. Maybe we can just go see a movie or something?"

Isabel couldn't even muster a half smile to appease him. "Maybe." She really wanted to be alone right now and Alex was probably the worst person to try and get rid of. He never took the hint unless it was blatantly dangled in front of his face.

"Isabel, is there something bothering you?"

"No, I'm fine. I've just got some things on my mind, that's all." She momentarily found the smile she had been looking for and prayed it did the trick. Alex might be her boyfriend but it was hardly like they had the same kind of bond as Liz and Max or Michael and Maria. Those couples were solid in a different way. If one half wasn't being totally honest, the entire foundations of their relationship began to crumble.

With Alex, it was different. There wasn't anything which really united them apart from the fact that he was in on the whole alien secret. Although, given Kyle's suspicions and Sheriff Valenti's snooping, not to mention Alex's public and regular faux pas, it wouldn't be long before the rest of Roswell knew their secret as well.

No, Alex Whitman was a nice guy and Isabel enjoyed knowing he'd always be at her beck and call, no matter how callous that sounded. He knew the score, didn't he? That girls like Isabel didn't just hook up with the geeks. They could be friends, more for a little while, but her 'breeding' would always set her apart from the rest of the world. No relationship would be easy and despite Max and Michael's repeated lectures on not getting involved, so far Isabel was the only one who had managed to attain some level of distance from humans.

She turned on her heel. Now was not the time to be thinking about Alex. How did he manage to distract her from something way more important than stupid crushes.

Suddenly, she felt growing bitterness towards him for being so annoying and emotionally dependant. He followed her round school like lovesick puppy and had a constant stream of stupid ideas for dates, thus ensuring he rounded her up at least once a week. It was really starting to get to her.

True to form, she felt his arm on hers, stopping her again. "Isabel, what's going on?"

Tugging herself away from him, Isabel stiffened. "There's nothing going on, Alex. I just don't want to see you today, all right? I just want to be alone for a while."

Alex's face contorted into severe lines and he lowered his voice. "Is this something, you know, A-L-I-E-N? Because you know you can talk to me about anything."

Isabel gazed steadily at him for a moment. There was a cruel way or a kind way of letting him down, but which one should she go for? It would be fairer to tell him he was right, that it was an alien thing and she needed to be alone for a while to sort herself out, or...

"No, Alex. It's not an alien thing, it's a 'you' thing. God, every step I take it's like you're right behind me! You want to spend every waking minute with me and..."

Alex lifted his hands in faint protest. "I'm you boyfriend, Isabel! That's what boyfriends do. We're supposed to be a couple!"

"That's just it! That's exactly the problem here. You and I are on completely different wavelengths. You think of me as your full blown girlfriend, but you know what?" She moved closer to him for a moment, wickedly savouring the discomfort Alex must feel. "I don't feel anything for you. This has always been a one-sided infatuation, Alex."

Licking his lips, Alex floundered for the words to respond. "So why did you stay with me?"

Isabel went in for the kill, plastering a smile across her face. "Because I pitied you." Seeing that her work was done, she walked briskly off in the opposite direction.

Alex remained frozen like a statue, watching Isabel depart. He was stunned. Why was she doing this? Surely she couldn't really feel that way. He knew their relationship was hardly unrequited passion or blissful love but it WAS something. She couldn't deny that. Okay, he would accept her breaking up with him but to say that she never cared was a lie, even Alex could tell that. No, this outburst definitely stemmed from something else.

He raced after her once more, dragging Isabel into a sidewalk. "I don't believe that, Isabel. You've got to give me a better reason than that. It's okay if you don't want to tell me the truth about whatever's bothering you, but don't give me this bull."

Isabel sighed as if it were the most tiresome job in the world to explain herself to such small people. "Alex, for God's sake, take it like a man. I don't want to see you anymore, just let it go. I mean, haven't you ever looked at Liz and Maria and wondered why they're always on the inside of whatever's going on? Whenever there's trouble, they always know about it...because Michael or Max tell them. Why? Because they trust them and care about them. Go figure, Alex." She turned to go before suddenly shooting him a venomous glare. "And if you lay a hand on me again, I'll zap you to kingdom come."

With that, she stalked off, leaving a deflated Alex leaning against the wall in disbelief.

* * *

Max sharpened his pencil for the tenth time in as many minutes. He was barely aware of the repetitious movements as his mind rested again on the potential dangers which lay ahead. It shrank homework into a tiny ball of insignificance which even the studious Max Evans could not unravel. Under ordinary circumstances, he would be treating the arrival of this cult with a healthy dose of scepticism and a sense of irony. Yet, Michael's habitual need to scare-monger was having the desired effect and Max was feeling uneasy. Once again, where everyone else had taken a small, curious step, Michael Guerin had leapt to the most hardcore conclusion.

Yes, they were different. They were from outer space, regions beyond human comprehension. Fear of the unknown was what made human beings cruel and dangerous. Their desperate terror of some hideous end which they might experience at the hands of extra-terrestrial beings overrode any rational information they might glean from such a situation.

It was strange, then, that such fear should be exactly what drove the three aliens forward. Just like humans, Max was afraid of the unknown, of taking a step forward only to find a pit of gloom from which he could not recoil. But if he didn't take that step, how could he ever grow? How could he, Isabel and Michael ever find their home? It was the only way forward. Then again, they had one vital force on their side. They were searching for home...humans were protecting it. The human race was safeguarding this planet from certain death if it were overrun.

Max sat back in his chair, resigned. No, Michael wasn't to blame for this. Max had just reasoned it out all on his own. He could never understand what it must be like to be a normal person on Earth. Even if evil aliens landed tomorrow in a freak invasion, Max might die along with everyone else, but he would be exempt from the argument. It wasn't about his kind. Even if it were, he had powers of his own to defend himself with.

This cult wasn't crazy, either. Max had just let himself get caught up in the disparaging remarks of people who belonged here. On the contrary, they were the only ones with the inside scoop, with their ear to the cosmic ground. And that's what made them dangerous.

Scooping his books back into his bag, Max left the library and headed towards the Crashdown. Maria and Liz would have had plenty of time to investigate the other sources they had found.

* * *

"Liz, how can you say that?" Maria questioned, indignantly, her hands resting emphatically on her narrow hips.

Liz shrugged. "I just don't think she's that great a singer, okay? It's not that big a deal, Maria."

Maria's jaw dropped open. "Not that big a deal?! I can't believe we've been best friends all these years, shared our most intimate secrets and all this time you never liked Whitney!"

Liz rolled her eyes and delivered a bar customer his all-day breakfast. "She' just a singer!"

"That's just the tip of the iceberg, Liz. It means that you and I have been coming from completely different directions all this time! How can you possibly understand anything I talk about when you can't get inside my head?!"

Liz shook Maria lightly by the shoulders. "Maria, calm down. I didn't say I never liked Whitney, I just said she seems a bit, you know, drugged out these days. Yes, she has a good voice but even you've got to admit she's lost the plot now."

Maria quietened, her mouth finally closing with Liz's firm voice. "Well, I guess you've got a point there."

Liz busied herself with the coffee machine, grateful to be relieved of having to explain herself any more. She had to admit that the argument was kind of her own fault. Their hunt for more information on this new cult had dug up nothing. Every lead had turned into a useless mention in some random article on sighted UFOs or one of the annual, uninformed magazines which decided the question of alien existence needed a 'fresh' point of view. More than anything, Liz had wanted to turn up something useful for Max. She was concerned about him and she just wished there was more she could do to ease his mind. The best they could do was sit in on the meeting at the town hall tomorrow evening and pray these fanatics provided a little more insight than the local records had proven.

As if in tune with her train of thought, the bell tinkled and Liz looked up to see Max enter. He wasn't with Michael or Isabel, thank goodness. Liz just needed to speak to him alone for a while. They still hadn't patched things up since the other day in the music room and Liz wanted to clear the air. She had kept him at arm's length but now she found herself desperately wanting to be close to him again.

Maria swung past her with some dirty plates, murmuring, "Lover boy's here."

Liz nodded, distractedly, her gaze already locked with Max's. "I know."

He came up to the counter and sat as far away from the rest of the customers as possible. Liz could read the expression on his face as easily as ever. He hadn't got any work done and had spent the past couple of hours worrying about everything Michael had said. She planted a chocolate milkshake in front of him. "On the house. Calcium builds the bones, makes us stronger and I believe chocolate is an aphrodisiac so..." Liz blushed suddenly as Max looked up in surprise, and quickly finished, "...so it should make you feel a bit happier at least."

Max attempted a small smile but even he knew there was no point in trying to hide from Liz. "Thanks, Liz. Any luck with the research?"

Liz bit her lip. "No, not really. I think we should just go to the meeting tomorrow evening and see what happens. They're bound to tell us more there than any newspaper could."

Max nodded, dispassionately. "Liz?" His face suddenly took on a new dimension, eyes brimming with renewed hope. "Is there any chance I can talk to you alone later? When it's a bit quieter?"

Liz smiled. "Yeah. We're closing early this evening so I'll be off at nine."

"Okay."

Max watched Liz for the remainder of her shift, scrutinising her as she poured coffee and waited on the tables. He homed in on her smile, those wide brown eyes which changed from wide innocence to lazy seduction, animation to boredom. Her whole being was reflected in those eyes and Max had dipped into them countless times, losing himself in them like a drug. When he looked at Liz, it was like the whole world disappeared and he didn't have a care in the universe.

Liz felt Max's eyes boring into her, tracking her around the room, from the bar to the booths and back to the kitchen. Part of her felt a renewed sense of self-confidence while the rest of her felt like a pool of jelly. She was constantly on the verge of dropping plates and cups whenever she caught his eye.

Finally, she had bustled the last customer out of the door and Maria had taken the hint and headed home, leaving Max and Liz alone.

Liz poured herself a cherry coke and sat opposite Max in a secluded booth at the side of the diner. He smiled, "Alone at last."

"Do you want anything else? Coffee? Coke?"

Max shook his head, "No. I just want you to sit down."

Liz obliged, suddenly feeling a warm flush shoot through her body. She didn't feel prepared. Still, there was nothing she could do about it now; Max was here and so was she. They were going to have this conversation regardless of how Liz's nerves were holding up.

She fiddled absently with her straw, regretting having chosen a caffeinated drink. What she needed right now was something to calm her down, make her mellow and responsive, the way she really ought to be for a discussion like this.

"Liz, I've been thinking about us, about what you said the other day, and you're right."

Liz's heart lurched in her chest. "Max..." She didn't want him to end it because of what she'd said. She wished she could take it all back and go back to the way they were before.

As if reading her mind, Max placed a firm, warm hand over hers. "No, it's okay, Liz. I understand now. You were right about the pain, about being able to feel when something's wrong. I know how much it must have hurt you when Pierce took me but I can't help loving you. You are right that we can't keep doing this, that I can't keep asking you to be there for me when I'm going to put my life in danger...but I can't help that either."

Liz smiled sadly. She knew all this was true. They were inextricably entwined in a intricate web of horrors from which their every struggle only enmeshed them deeper. "I know, Max. I just wish it didn't have to be so complicated."

Max rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, feeling the smooth skin beneath his own. "That's just it, Liz. It isn't complicated at all. You reminded me of how deep our emotions go, that we're stuck with them.

"Liz, you're my greatest strength and the only reason I've lived through all this. Sometimes that frightens me because there are days when I desperately want to forget about this search for 'home' and just be with you. I'm afraid of what will happen to me if I do that, what will happen to all of us. But the good outweighs the bad ten fold. I can't do any of this without you."

Max pulled back suddenly and sighed, searching for the right words. He hated sounding like some extra from the latest chick flick but the words of romance always seemed to say exactly what he wanted Liz to know. "What I'm trying to say is that it doesn't have to be complicated. We should just stop fighting and crying on each other's shoulder about the hand fate dealt us and start living. It's going to be tough but we're in it for the long haul."

Liz took an unwanted sip of her cherry coke and sat back against the wall of the booth. "You're right, Max. You're absolutely right...and I want to give it a go. But what you're asking of me, it just isn't possible. I'm only human, Max. I can't promise I'll always be a saint in this, but I'll try."

Max nodded and sat forward, tracing his hand down her cheek. Liz responded, moving closer to him, feeling his lips brush hers. Max tangled his fingers in her hair as he deepened the kiss. The whole discussion was lost in an instant. The passion was electric, darting through their bodies and uniting them. Who cared about the future when they had today.

* * *

The next evening bowled around quickly and Maria was having one mother of an argument with, well, her mother. They had been getting along famously until she had mentioned the meeting at the town hall.

"Mom, I won't be home late."

"That's NOT the point here, missy. That meeting is going to be full of whackos and complete freaks who'll probably drug you and bundle you into the back of their truck. God knows where you'll end up!"

Maria rolled her eyes. At least she knew where her dramatic tendencies came from. "Mom, I just told you I won't be home late. There'll be loads of people around and besides Michael is picking me up. He'll be with me the whole time."

Mrs. De Luca put her hands on her hips, defiantly. "Oh, now I feel a whole world better. Michael Guerin is going to look after my daughter!"

Maria instantly regretted passing on that piece of information as she quickly tried to repair the damage. "Liz is coming as well, with Max and Isabel."

"Ah, Max Evans?"

"Yes, Mom. Max Evans. You've met him like a dozen times."

"Now why can't you find a nice, wholesome boyfriend like him?"

Maria opened her mouth to protest, although she would like to agree with her for once. Her sentence was cut short by a knock at the door. "That'll be Michael. I'll see you later, Mom."

She grabbed her bag and kissed her mother lightly on the cheek, slamming the door just in time to hear, "Tell Mr. Guerin you'd better be back before ten or..." before Maria was out of earshot.

The pair joined Max, Isabel and Liz at the jeep. Maria squeezed in beside her friend. "I was starting to think I'd have to resort to pre-pubescent climbing out of windows for this."

Michael gave her a lopsided smile, "Didn't you climb out of your window to meet me last Thursday?" Maria sent him a flaming look.

Liz smiled, "Tell me about it. I hate lying but I had to tell my dad I was doing a piece on it for the student paper otherwise he would have had a fit."

Pulling out into the road, Max glanced tensely in the rear view mirror, levelling his friends with a stern gaze. "Guys, I need you to be careful tonight, okay? No drawing attention to ourselves unnecessarily."

Maria patted him on the shoulder, plastering a knowing smile across her face. "Don't you worry about a thing, Max. I've got a perfect plan up my sleeve. We'll get all the information you need. Just stay cool."

Max felt his heart lurch in his chest. He had seen that smile before, like the time when she tried to seduce a bouncer into letting them enter an over 21 club and when she had attempted to blag here way through security at the library after closing. This was not good with a capital 'n'.

For once, Michael agreed. Turning swiftly in his seat, he forced Maria to look at him. "Whatever you're thinking, Maria, just forget it, all right?"

Her mouth drooped into a sulk. "God, do you people have no faith in me?"

Liz squeezed her hand, lightly. "It's not that, Maria, it's just...this is kind of delicate and we..."

Maria gasped, "Oh my God, you as well! My best friend!? None of you think I can be delicate about this, do you? I can't believe this. To think I call you my friends."

Liz looked to Michael with the vain hope that he might step in to calm his girlfriend. Instead, he gave her his customary expression of pure exasperation and stared out of the window.

By the time the group reached the town hall, you could have sliced the air with a butter knife. They filed silently into the main room and took their seats, choosing a place which was sufficiently near the front to give them a good view but still ensuring that their faces blended seamlessly into the crowd of nobodies.

Maria leaned over Michael towards Isabel and asked, "Where's Alex? I thought he was coming tonight."

Isabel's face flushed suddenly and she tried vainly to support that smile she always used when covering something up. "Um, I think he, uh, decided not to come or something."

Maria scrutinised her for a moment, then asked, "Did you guys have a fight?"

Isabel licked her dry lips, "Something like that...I'll tell you later, okay."

Maria was about to ask more but Michael forcibly levered her back into her chair, snapping, "Not now, all right. There are more important things to think about than Isabel having a spat with Alex Whitman, okay."

Maria gasped in anger and sat back, sulkily, in her chair, mustering all her energy into giving Michael the cold shoulder.

Max took his place beside Liz and felt her squeeze his hand. He returned her warm smile but his heart was far from being in the gesture. He just wanted to get this over with. It felt like a trip to the doctor's because you'd found a mysterious lump and were about to find out if you faced a long life ahead of you or a few months spent lying in pain on a respirator while your body packed up on you organ by organ. Whatever these people wanted was still a mystery. They could be chasing space animals or they could be a genuine threat, people imbued with knowledge about 1947 and the orbs. The lights dimmed, plunging the auditorium into atmospheric darkness. Max took a deep breath. They were about to find out.

Music began to issue from speakers set up around the walls, a low, resonating, sonorous note permeated the crowd. People began to talk in low whispers like an audience attending some magnificent new show in town. Stars began to twinkle in the background of the stage, sparkling like diamonds on the bible black curtains which shifted slightly with movements from behind them.

Max glanced over at his sister. Her eyes were transfixed by the scene, blue irises flitting from the dramatic scene laid out before them to the shadows of feet visible beneath the curtain. Her knuckles were white with tension as her hands clasped one another.

Suddenly, with a blinding flash, the curtains swung open and a man in long robes strode into centre stage. Strobe lighting engulfed his tall frame, dancing across his skin, turning him into a living jigsaw of pieces no one could put together.

Liz tightened her grip on Max's arm and he could feel her jump when a deep, booming voice came across the powerful microphone.

"Welcome to an evening of enlightenment. Now is your chance to embrace the future, to expand your horizons beyond the tethers of your wildest imaginations. Bear with me as I release your mind from the trappings of human fear and disbelief. Together we can realize the future of all futures - of mankind and his unearthly allies."

The man's voice was both eloquent and compelling. Liz could feel it echoing around the expansive room yet, simultaneously, it insinuated itself into her ear like an intimate whisper.

"We are the Celestial Earthlights Union, the CEO, and tonight, ladies and gentleman, you have chosen your entertainment well."

In one gliding movement, the man deftly removed his cloak and the lights flickered for a second before illuminating the stage to reveal the speaker as a sinewy, thin man with a wiry beard and moustache. His dark hair haloed in unruly curls around his head and there were already beads of sweat on his forehead under the glare of the spotlight. All in all, he was quite the antithesis to what anyone in the hall would have expected. The dramatic display they had just witnessed was completely out of proportion to the mousy man presented to them now. He wore a plain brown, wool suit and a tasteless mint green shirt underneath. His shoes were scuffed with laces threatening to come loose at any moment.

Liz glanced at Max in surprise but he seemed equally miffed by the sight before them.

The man smiled graciously and produced a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles from his top pocket before taking his place at the centre of the stage. "Welcome, citizens of Roswell. My name is Theodore Preston. I am the president and founder of the CEO. Do I have your attention now?" The question was posed with a playful smile, instantly disarming the sceptical faces among those assembled.

"Despite the ear-shattering sound effects - thank you, Bill!" He pointed to a fat man sitting in the sound booth at the back of the auditorium, then continued, "- I still heard the sniggers and comments. It is the same everywhere I go...which is exactly why I use it."

Isabel rolled her eyes in Michael's direction as the man began to pace the stage like a university professor, one hand in his trouser pocket. Isabel found her mind wandering already, wondering why men did that. Surely it couldn't be comfortable when his hand barely fitted in the small pocket anyway. Her initial fear had waned from the moment she had glimpsed the tweed beneath those impressive robes. She yawned, hoping this whole evening wasn't going to be a complete waste of time. She had given up late night opening at the mall for this.

Mr. Preston continued, "You see, ladies and gentlemen, I was just like you. I AM just like you. You have all heard about the CEO's arrival in town, that we are lunatic alien hunters, conspiracy theorists ready to jump on board the first ET bandwagon we can find. Perhaps you have even done a little research, discovered offences and charges levelled against our community. Well, the truth is that 'yes' and 'no', the assumptions you will have made are both correct and incorrect.

"The spectacle I have just shown you is what you wanted to see, right? You sat down and felt a wave of satisfaction that I was falling directly into your trap, that you were right all along. The CEO are completely mad and now you can dismiss us and return to a normal life where aliens do not exist and we are the only living beings in the entire universe. Am I right?"

A few upright citizens who had taken front row seats to emphasise their indignation began to shift uncomfortably in their chairs. This did not go unnoticed by Preston as his watery blue eyes darted along the row of faces there. "Well, let me tell you something, people. We are not mad...and this evening is not intended to recruit you into our group. On the contrary, I just want to reach a mutual understanding, perhaps even find some common ground and some mutual respect."

At this, an audible babble rose from the audience and a few hands shot up. Mr. Preston raised his palms in mock surrender. "If you kind folk would save your questions, there will be a Q and A at the end of the talk."

Michael and Isabel shared exasperated looks. This was getting worse with every passing moment. Max, however, remained tense and alert in his seat. This man hadn't said anything to make them worried yet but he hadn't said anything to reassure them either. His academic approach to the evening made the teenager nervous. Preston had already proved himself an excellent showman, but was this just a guise, too, or was it his true colour? Perhaps the man honestly had something to say, maybe he knew something more.

"I want to get some aspects of our group rectified straight off the bat here, people. Number one - the CEO is NOT a cult. We do not recruit or brainwash. We are simply a proportion of like-minded people with a desire to communicate with extra-terrestrials in every way possible.

"Number two - we do not subscribe to government cover-up suppositions. That is to say, we are NOT conspiracy theorists. I have spent many years investigating the roots of military association from ETs and have found them to be mostly conjecture with tenuous links to the real thing.

"Over the next..." He glanced at the gold watch on his wrist and raised his eyebrows, "...forty seven minutes, I will attempt to present you with some of the evidence we have based our allegiance on. I would be happy to take questions during that time."

Michael felt Maria sit up straighter in her chair, suddenly more alert. He began to get concerned again. What had she been saying in the car about cards up her sleeve? God, he prayed she wasn't going to do something stupid and, well, Maria-ish. The last thing they needed was for the freak on stage to single them out as trouble makers, ones to be watched. They'd never be able to extract any information from them that way.

Leaning close, he whispered urgently in Maria's ear. "You do anything stupid and I swear we are finished."

Maria pouted, emphatically, and gave Michael a withering look. "Ooh, I'm so scared. Just trust me, will you?"

Mr. Preston droned on for a while longer about a few of the phenomena he wanted to cover while some assistants set up an overhead projector at the centre of the stage and rolled out a huge screen. Preston began by discussing the dynamics of the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis, stating that the UFOs seen across the world and documented as far back as 214 BC are piloted by sentient beings from other planets.

The audience sat politely for the first half hour apart from a few antagonists who were quietly removed by security. There was an amusing group of fanatics who dominated one side of the hall, nodding furiously at every proposition and scribbling maniacally, trying to harness Preston's words of sheer wisdom.

Max, Liz and Isabel seemed perfectly happy to sit and listen to the man expound all the possibilities which they had heard a thousand times. Occasionally, Isabel would crack some joke under her breath about details Preston had omitted to prevent his audience losing interest. She, like her brother, had spent endless hours in libraries and surfing the internet in the hope of finding some legitimate clue as to their heritage or how they might get back there. None of this was new to them but they needed to hear it, just in case.

Michael, on the other hand, had other concerns. Maria had been mumbling under her breath and sorting through crumpled notes she had produced from her bag. Every time he looked over her shoulder she would whip them out of his sight which only heightened his worry. She was up to something, she was going to challenge Preston and he had to stop her.

"Maria, don't you dare do this! I'm warning you."

As a final act of defiance, Maria looked at her boyfriend coldly as she put her hand up. Michael was just about to forcibly pull it down when Preston pointed towards her, "Yes, miss...the girl in the orange shirt."

Maria smiled graciously at Michael and stood up, "Yes. Mr. Preston you say that these UFOs are controlled or piloted by aliens."

Preston gave her a condescending smile. "Yes, that's right."

"Well, since we are already in the realms of what most people would call science fiction, what do you think of the theory that these craft are actually manned by humans from the future who have mastered time travel?"

Preston grinned, as if the idea was the perfect example to show his own intelligence on the subject. "That's a good question, young lady, and one that I think should be considered. However, the concept that there are humans with the ability to travel through time but have still managed to keep it a secret is much more far-fetched than any alien idea. The population and density of people on planet Earth makes it quite unlikely that time travel could have been attained without even a hint of suspicion."

Maria interrupted, "Yes, but there has been suspicion, hasn't there? I mean, it explains government cover-up."

"Perhaps, but no more than any extra-terrestrial liaison. I ask you, when you heard of the time travel hypothesis, was there a great deal of evidence or just a paragraph of conspiracies to support it?"

Maria blushed under the humiliation of his patronising gaze. When she did not answer, he opened his hands in a gesture of inevitability. "There are hundreds, thousands of documents supporting the theory of extra-terrestrial communication with Earth and only one man's belief in time travel as an explanation." He moved away from her, "But thank you for the question. It's nice to know some of our audience came prepared."

Maria sat back down, feeling hot and irritated for the way she had just been treated. She ignored Michael's disgusted expression and the shocked look on Liz's face when she caught her eye. Maria couldn't believe that stupid man could flounce into Roswell and make her feel so small when he was driving some dumb cult. Nobody ever believed those freaks and they always spouted a load of crap so how had she been made to look like a fool?!

Preston continued to discuss his theories for another ten minutes before moving onto the subject of space animals which elicited some sniggers from the crowd. He went on to posit that these UFOs are actually not craft at all but creatures that he believed had landed on Earth and was present in society.

"They are quite possibly the closest thing we will ever come to angels - messengers of a God we can only imagine as a fatherly figure watching over our planet from the heavens."

Maria saw her chance and leapt for it. She wouldn't be outdone. "Excuse me, Mr. Preston?"

She saw him visibly recoil at the sight of her, his body tensing as if her voice grated against his ears. Through gritted teeth, he enquired, "Yes?"

Maria asked, "You're talking about angels and stuff. Does this mean you have a religious belief in all this?"

Preston was silent for a moment. Maria grinned down at Michael in triumph. He did not want to encourage her but he had to admit it was a valid question. It was one thing to have alien fanatics on their hands but it was a whole different ball game if they turned out to be religious proselytes.

After a moment's consideration, Preston declared, "It is true that the CEO's interest in this phenomenon goes beyond a mere technological stand. However, I do not want to go into the religious and personal aspects of our work because that is private."

Maria raised her eyebrows. Oh yes, she had won. The room had gone completely silent; there was not a single person whispering as they had been doing for the duration of his speech. She had caught him out just as she had hoped. That would teach him to try and belittle a DeLuca in front of her kinsmen.

He went on, "I will say this, though. I told you earlier that the CEO is not a cult and I stand by that. Modern beliefs only hold two camps, those who believe in the spiritual beyond us or those who proscribe to the concept that technology holds all the answers. I simply want to unite the two, to fuse the material with the spiritual. It would be vanity to assume we have already mastered comprehension of every plane on which the soul can function. We are trapped in a corporeal body, that is how we limit our perceptions. Is it not possible that technology is simply the key to uniting us with our God on another level? For what is God but an omnipotent being with the power to control and command, the power to heal all wounds, the power to show us what we could never achieve alone? All I ask is that you consider whether the God I seek is any more attainable than that which you pray to?"

As if sensing the revolt in the room, the tides turning against him, Preston abruptly glanced up at the large wall clock. "Look at the time. I fear I will overstay my welcome."

Hands waved around in the crowd, people clamouring to be heard. "I will take one more question." Preston chose a meek looking woman near the front of the congregation, hoping it would not be an awkward one to end with.

"So what have you been building in Roswell for?"

Preston nodded emphatically like some counsellor who understand everybody's feelings and knew how to settle the minds of his minions. "Ah yes, well, the CEO building is both a sanctuary for the group members and also a research centre. Over the years, between myself and loyal members, we have raised a substantial amount of money to spend on furthering our interest in this field. After all, such a company could hardly be founded on hearsay and the accounts of others. We strive to find proof for ourselves."

The woman saw him prepare to pack up and quickly added, "And what about the accusations that you abducted and assaulted people whom you believed to be aliens?"

Preston swallowed, hurriedly, and concisely concluded, "Like any organization, there are those who are more enthusiastic and fervent in their convictions. As such, our name has been blackened by those who have taken the cause beyond what is reasonable. Thank you, madam, but those are all the questions I can take this evening. Time is pressing. If anyone wishes for further information on the CEO, feel free to put it in writing or make an appointment with myself at a later date.

"To finish, I would just like to ask you this. Is it possible that we could be the only living beings in the entire universe? Or is that the brainwashing you so fear? It is a product of ignorance and fear and only you can fight it." After a pregnant pause, he finished, "Thank you."

The stage was instantly plunged into darkness and the curtains swung closed amidst a scattered round of applause from zealous tourists and the mumble of disgusted citizens who had been ready to leave an hour ago.

Isabel stood up stiffly, gently rolling her neck to ease the discomfort from sitting in the plastic bucket seats all evening. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Max and Liz filed out of the row and Michael marched off, leaving Maria to gather her fallen notes alone. He was in no mood to talk to her right now. He'd just get angry and that would only add to their troubles.

* * *

Stepping out into the foyer, Max drew the group towards an isolated corner while the locals milled around the stalls set up or headed for the bar.

Isabel crossed her arms, "Well, I think we can sleep soundly tonight."

Max shook his head, "I'm not so sure."

Isabel snorted, "Give me a break, Max! The guy was a nut."

"I don't think so. I mean, he didn't seem like the usual crazies you see around here."

Michael could feel his temper rising. He knew it was mainly because of him that they had even bothered to come tonight, but even he was starting to have his doubts as to whether the CEO was worth getting worked up over. Theodore Preston had delivered a unique speech, that much was true, but he could hardly be called a great mind. They had already had the FBI on their tail, somehow the prospect of Preston's cult didn't quite hold the same fear.

Eyeing Max suspiciously, he asked, "So what are you suggesting we do?"

Max looked from one expectant face to the other. "I'm saying we should keep a close eye on all their activities. If they are as devoted to this cause as they say they are, I'd say we've definitely got something to worry about."

Finally, Maria caught up with them. She was carrying a paper bag in one hand now and had a huge grin plastered across her face. "Guys, didn't I kick ass back there?!"

Michael noted, dryly, "That's one way of putting it."

Liz smiled at her friend, "You did great, Maria. Where did you pull up all that information?"

Maria giggled, "'The Real Science Behind The X-Files'!"

Isabel gestured to the paper bag she was holding. "What's in there?"

"Oh, the town council had a stall over there. I figured I'd find out about the CEO's planning permission applications. Anyway, they gave me one of their booklets about every application throughout Roswell. Yeah, I've got the CEO in here somewhere between Mr. Smith's extension and Mrs. Jones' new garage." She shrugged, "It could be useful, right?" She was met with a row of blank faces. "Well, I don't see you guys with any exclusive information."

Max glanced around the hall, "Come on, let's go home."

Maria watched her friends go. Weren't they even going to thank her? She had spent hours researching UFOs for them, to help them, and this was all the recognition she got. She cursed under her breath, adding wryly, "You're welcome."

She ran to catch up with Michael who had gone on ahead with Isabel as if his girlfriend wasn't even there. "Michael, wait up!"

He didn't change his stride and Maria was forced to skip just to keep up with him. He was silent as they walked across the car park. Maria suddenly halted in the middle of the tarmac and accused, "Michael, what the hell is wrong with you? I spend hours of my time trying to help you, doing research and humiliating myself in front of the whole town and I don't even get a 'thank you'?"

Michael whirled on her, barely able to conceal his disgust. "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Thank you so much."

His voice dripped with sarcasm and Maria swallowed, dryly. She had expected a lot of reactions from her boyfriend but the end had justified the means, hadn't it? "I don't get you, Michael. What did I do that was so wrong?"

Michael fixed her with a cold, penetrating gaze, and she felt herself physically recoil under his onyx stare. "You know, you're some piece of work, Maria. We've spent years trying to keep a low profile, trying to keep the government off our backs, praying they don't find us and dissect us before we can find out something about where we're from. Then, in one stupid move, you bring the whole thing down! You waltz in there asking absurd questions and making a spectacle of yourself."

Maria opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off before the first word had formed on her lips. "Do you think in all those hours of research you did, you found ONE piece of information we haven't already studied?! Every day of our lives has been spent trying to find out whether those stories are true, whether there is an ounce of truth in space animals or alien abduction accounts. If we'd wanted to be the centre of attention, we could have done it on our own! We can do all of this on our own!"

Maria was stunned. How could he say this to her after all they had been through together. She would do anything for him and yet Michael just couldn't see it. Suddenly, she felt like a doll ripped of her stuffing. The fight left her like a ghost passing through her body and she succumbed to defeat. "Is that really how you feel? That you want me out?"

Michael paused for a moment, then finished coldly, "You know, you and Liz have been party to our secret for months now and you go around saying you're trying to help, that you care. Well, I've got a news flash for you. I don't buy it. All of that...that display you put on back there, it wasn't about us at all. It was all about YOU. The pair of you just feed off the drama of this whole situation, but this is MY life, okay! When you're long gone, I'll still be living in it!" He stopped short, lowering his voice. "Maybe you're right. It's just better if you stay away from now on. No more helping, researching, talking to people. Just forget you ever knew us, all right."

Without waiting for a response, Michael stormed off into the darkness, directing his course as far away from Max's jeep as possible, leaving Maria standing alone in the empty parking lot.

* * *

The journey home felt like a year even though it couldn't have been more than a fifteen minute round trip. Liz noticed how quiet Maria had become since getting in the car. Her chirpy disposition had given way to utter dejection and it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Michael had something to do with it. They had waited for a good ten minutes before Maria told Max their friend probably wasn't going to join them. Usually, Liz had an infallible knack of seeing directly through Maria but tonight she was caught up in her own anxiety, or was it Max's?

She could feel it emanating from him in disjointed, fractured waves and, if Liz had been able to see auras, she could imagine how rusty and grey his would have been. She watched his steady eyes focusing on the road ahead, those brown irises shutting down his brain into a locked cell of confusion and concentration. Liz knew she wouldn't be able to reach him tonight, no matter how hard she tried. Besides, she didn't need to hear his words to know the gist of what he was thinking. Max Evans was mentally taking over as leader once again, trying to think of a way to deal with this situation with minimal action and disruption.

The jeep pulled up outside the DeLuca house and Maria mumbled a hasty goodnight before all but running up her driveway. Neither Max nor Isabel seemed to notice her sudden reticence but Liz made a mental note to follow it up the next morning. They drove on to the Crashdown and Liz leaned over to kiss Max lightly on the cheek. She wished she could be closer to him but Liz knew he wouldn't really be with her. He mustered up enough enthusiasm to give her a goodnight kiss in return before pulling away from the kerb.

"How was the meeting?" Mrs. Evans asked when Isabel slammed the front door.

Isabel glanced at Max who was already lost in thought. "Oh, it sucked big time. It was more like a science paper than any talk, plus Maria decided to ask a whole load of embarrassing questions." She quickly changed the subject, "Are there any leftovers? I'm starving."

"There's some quiche in the refrigerator. I'm off to bed." Mrs. Evans kissed her daughter and delivered a quick hug to Max. "Night, you two. Don't stay up too late."

Isabel smiled, demurely. "We won't." She opened the refrigerator and rifled around for something sweet before slumping down on the sofa. "Max, either sit down or go to bed. You're making me nervous."

Max hadn't moved from his spot near the front door. "I'm going to bed."

He had one foot on the stairs when Isabel said, "Max? Do you really think the CEO is something to worry about?"

Max followed her wide-eyed, perplexed gaze. "No, Is. It's probably nothing." He summoned up a convincing smile and made a beeline for his room. Right now he just wanted to be alone.

Flinging himself down on the bed, Max closed his eyes and let his fingers gently massage his pounding head. Sometimes, he felt like he was trapped in an interrogation room, people firing questions at him and scrutinizing his every move. Isabel, Michael, Liz, his parents...they all watched him like hawks for some signal about what he was feeling. They looked to him for guidance when he didn't have any more of a clue than they did. Plus, Michael was such a loose cannon that Max just felt so bitter towards him. One second he'd be gallivanting off to create havoc and the next minute he'd be berating his friend for not keeping them safe. To compound matters, Michael always boiled every trouble back down to the day that Max saved Liz's life at the Crashdown Café.

It made him feel so responsible and then it made him angry. Why did he have to take the lead? When had it been decreed that he was the one who knew what was going on? Had he put it on himself or had they forced him? God, it had been so long since he had just been the carefree follower that Max wasn't even sure he'd know how to exist that way. Maybe that was the answer - it was just his nature, perhaps an alien part of him. No matter how annoyed and frustrated he became sometimes, there was something which dwelt in the core of Max Evans that knew this was his destiny, that it couldn't be any other way. He just occasionally wished there were more signs to help him understand.

* * *

Isabel poked at her lunch with a measure of disgust, lifting the top of her sandwich with two perfectly manicured nails to scrutinise the contents. Deciding she'd be safer sticking to foods she could actually identify, she took a bite of her apple. She couldn't make up her mind whether her sudden dissatisfaction with her meal was genuine or caught up in the topsy-turvy world Alex Whitman had thrown her into. She felt like there was a weight pressing down on her chest which she couldn't lift. Her harsh words echoed around her head whenever she was alone, reminding her of what a bitch she had been. Isabel didn't know who she hated more, Alex for bringing out the worst in her or herself for letting things get that far.

Caught up in her thoughts, Isabel didn't notice Maria take a seat beside her. The characteristically bubbly girl was disconcertingly quiet and, after a moment, even Isabel couldn't ignore the pervading silence. "Hey, Maria. What's up?"

Maria produced her lunch box and slammed it onto the table. "Nothing. Nothing at all." She spoke the words slowly and deliberately, venom dripping from every syllable.

"Same here," Isabel muttered in reply. "You want to talk about it?"

Maria shook her head, emphatically. "No." Respecting her friend's wishes, Isabel took another bite of her apple and bitterly surveyed the scene around them. Happy couples and giggling groups of girls - all the things she used to think feasible for herself but which grew more and more distant with each passing day.

Unable to control herself, Maria suddenly blurted out, "God, why does he have to be so...so mean?"

Isabel focused her attention back on Maria. This was just what she needed. Somebody to give her another train of thought than Alex. It was killing her. She hadn't seen him since yesterday, not even in class, and Isabel couldn't decide if she was more worried that he might come and speak to her or that he wouldn't.

"I mean, one minute he's blowing really hot and then the next minute he's telling me he doesn't want to see me anymore. Why do I let him mess me around like this? I should have dumped him a long time ago."

Isabel pointed out, "You did, but then you just got back together again."

Maria fiddled with the wrapping on her straw, grappling unsuccessfully with the plastic cellophane. "He's just such a bastard. You know, there are days when I would happily wring his neck or when I'd be so happy to hear that he's finally decided to leave Roswell for good. Then, the next minute I'm feeling all weird, like I'm missing him. I hate it!"

Isabel felt a smile creep across her face. Maria could be like a cracked record sometimes, except for the odd occasion when the needle jumped a groove and she was in love for a few seconds out of eternity. Still, she had to feel sorry for the girl. In all the time Isabel had spent with Michael since they had known Maria, he rarely spoke about her except when he was annoyed with her. Maybe that was their fatal flaw. Michael Guerin consumed Maria's conscious mind but Maria DeLuca was nothing more than an occasionally welcome distraction to Michael.

On the other hand, whatever Michael had said to Maria couldn't have been far off what she had said to Alex the other night. It just made her feel even more isolated to realize that she could sympathise with Michael but couldn't truly understand how devastated Maria was. It simply highlighted the fact that they were different, so different it might destroy any chance they had of finding happiness on Earth.

Trying to be helpful, Isabel noted, "Michael has always been a loner, Maria. I don't think that will ever change. He's the kind of guy where you fit in with him. There is no compromise."

Maria sighed, "Yeah, well how selfish is that?" Isabel didn't reply and Maria threw the unopened straw onto the table top, swearing under her breath. Her hands were mysteriously sweating and shaking, plus she was starting to feel a bit tearful. She quailed at the thought of breaking down in the middle of the quad, especially in front of Isabel.

Sensing Maria's fragile state, Isabel took the straw and adeptly unwrapped it, sticking it into the top of her juice carton. "There." Maria didn't answer, making her doubly sure the girl was close to tears. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not faring much better."

Maria looked up, grateful that the subject had moved away from her. "You and Alex? I haven't seen him today."

Isabel raised her eyebrows, knowingly. "Exactly."

Maria's jaw dropped. It was rare for Alex to get upset and even rarer for him to crawl under a rock afterwards. He was the guy who always bounced back. "My God, what did you say to him?"

Isabel shook her head as if it were nothing of importance. "I kind of said some stuff I didn't mean."

"When? Like what?" Maria sat forward, alert.

Isabel brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her mouth. "He just caught me at a bad time. He was going on about dates and movies and I was wondering whether we were going to have to leave Roswell again and... I told him he didn't mean anything to me, that I didn't want to see him anymore."

Maria took a sip of her drink, then asked, "Did you mean it?"

Isabel thought for a moment. That was a question she'd been asking herself ever since the day it had happened. "I don't know. At the time I suppose I did."

Maria stared at her companion for a moment, then quietly added, "Do you think Michael did?"

Isabel felt a pang of regret ricochet around her chest. For the first time, she felt a heavy weight of genuine sympathy for what Maria must be going through. Or perhaps it was guilt, guilt because Maria was a pure reflection of what Alex must enduring - because of her. It was written all across the girl's face - how much she care for Michael, how hurt she was that he had rejected her. Somehow, she couldn't find it in herself to lie. "I don't know."

Maria nodded, sombrely. She had known it was futile. Isabel couldn't give her a straight answer anymore than Maria could give herself.

Isabel took a final bite from her half eaten apple. She didn't feel hungry anymore. In fact, she felt strangely ill. Getting up, she threw the remainder of her lunch into the trash can. "I'd better go. See you later, Maria." Isabel didn't really know where she needed to go but it had to be somewhere quiet. She just wanted to be alone. She might as well get used to it, after all.

* * *

"Max." Liz caught up with her boyfriend in the crowded hallway. He turned as if surprised to see her there. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. You?"

Liz pulled her bag further up on to her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine." She couldn't help but feel the question had only been asked to deflect her from giving him the third degree. "Listen, Max, there's a new band playing in town tonight and I was wondering if you wanted to go?"

She was fully anticipating a gloomy, half-hearted refusal but was shocked when Max stopped suddenly and looked down at her. "I'd love to." Catching her smile, he brushed fingers lightly over Liz's blushed cheek. "I love you, Liz."

Liz found herself staring up into those eyes, losing herself in the ecstasy that Max made her feel whenever they were together. It was electric, yet not nearly as brutal, more like coils of warm light shooting through her whole body, exploding in her stomach and head. Max leaned closer and planted a tender kiss on her frosted lips. He nuzzled her ear, breathing, "Let's go to the eraser room." Gripping his hand in hers, Liz let him drag her down the corridor to the only sanctuary from the bustle of school life.

Isabel hadn't been sure where she needed to be when she left Maria, but when she reached the bleachers, it all became clear. A narrow figure was huddled near the far end of the top step, staring out onto the empty football pitch. Taking a deep breath, Isabel climbed to the top of the steps and walked towards the black blot in the distance.

With each step, the figure became more detailed, gradually taking on the characteristics of a proper human being, one that Isabel knew only too well. The bleachers seemed to stretch out into infinity, making each move forward insignificant. She wasn't sure if she could cope with facing him now. From the edge of the field, he had been nothing more than a faceless blob onto which she could project any emotion, any words. Now, as she neared Alex Whitman, Isabel lost all sense of capability in this situation.

She sat down quietly beside him and followed his gaze out across the pitch. "Hi, Alex."

He looked up at the sky, avoiding making eye contact with her. "If you're here to tear more strips off me, I wouldn't bother. I don't think there's much left to take, Isabel."

Isabel winced at the sound of her own name, said with such contempt. She was lost for words. How could she tell him she hadn't meant any of what she had said? Nobody could believe those crushing blows were dealt from a good imagination. They had their roots in truth and Isabel knew it. "Alex, I know I have no right to come here and... Those things I said the other night, you have to understand where they came from. I said some awful things, but it wasn't all about you. You got caught in the line of fire and I guess..."

Alex snorted, derisively. "Isabel, the whole reason I came out here was to get away from you, so I wouldn't have to listen to your excuses. I know you feel bad but you can't take it back. You meant every word."

Isabel pursed her lips and wracked her brains to think of something reassuring to say. "I didn't. You've got to try and see it from my point of view. I was worried about the cult..."

Alex whirled on her, "No, I don't have to see it from any direction, Isabel! I've been a lap dog to you for months and you've treated me like dirt. Now, you want me to play confessor and pardoner. Well, I won't. You're just going to have to put up with the guilt a bit longer."

Isabel opened her mouth to respond but it was as if her vocal chords had given out. There was nothing she could say to that. Alex was right. She had believed she had sought him out to make him feel better but beneath any desire for Alex to be happy again was a selfish need to ease her own conscience. Suddenly, all the loneliness which she had held at bay for weeks came crashing in on her. Desperately holding back tears, Isabel stammered, "I'm so sorry, Alex, for all of this. I know this will take time, but I will prove it to you. I promise I'll make it up to you, no matter what it takes."

A tiny muscle pulsed in Alex's jaw, his knuckles whitening against one another. Acknowledging that everything had been said for now, Isabel stood to leave. She had taken a few steps when Alex's voice came, quiet and thready. "It really hurt, Isabel."

Isabel nodded, "I know." Images of Maria's dejected face, her vacant gaze ever staring into the depths of herself, trying to comprehend why Michael hated her so much. Isabel hated herself for having the power to inflict the same on Alex, who had been nothing but a friend and supporter throughout everything.

* * *

Maria had staggered through the day like a soldier in shock, buffeted from one activity to another with barely a second's knowledge of what was happening to her. Michael's words bounced back at her endlessly, blocking out everything else. She swung from the pits of despair when she wished she were dead to consuming fires of anger, hatred emanating from her body, bristling along her spine. No thought stayed with her long enough to keep her steady and by the time she reached home, Maria was exhausted.

Dismissing her mother's mundane queries about school and homework, Maria shut her bedroom door on the world and sank down into her chair. As if the wells of loneliness had been waiting until she was in the sanctuary of her own home, Maria suddenly felt the damn of emotions breaking. Her shoulders heaving with broken sobs, the tears fell unhindered down her cheeks in silent lament. The torrent was uncontrollable and the teenager could do little more than ride out the waves.

Eventually, the rivers dried up and Maria was left feeling numb and exhausted. Reaching for her tissues, she blew her nose and lay down on the bed. The experience had left her feeling remarkably liberated and clear-headed. In fact, she found her thoughts finally shifting to the rational and mundane like how red and puffy her face must look. She took a sniff from one of her many vials lined up haphazardly along the top of the dresser. It didn't matter which one just as long as it brought her to life.

Sucking in a deep breath, she lay staring up at the ceiling. Maria found the white canvas above her mysteriously therapeutic, like a clean slate on which to project her jumbled emotions. In one corner near the door, she put Michael and all his problems, both old and new. Then, in the corner near the window, Maria placed herself, imbued with the light of day and a symbolically positive outlook on the world. In the middle, near the lamp shade, was the halfway point between the artificial electric light and the darkness. It was a metaphor for Michael and Maria's relationship. It was a manufactured, ugly imitation of the natural light dancing by the window but it was infinitely better than the darkness pervading Michael's corner of the room. In fact, his corner was gloomy and miserable, near the door which Maria incorporated into her design as his constant need to run. It represented his inability to commit but also the way he had been treated all his life. He had always been on the other side of the door, shut out from love, constantly on the verge of packing his bags. Michael had been forced to be self-sufficient, self-reliant, and it was only Maria's persistence which had enabled her to get past base one.

She drew in an involuntary gasp of air as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Maria's iron will finally kicked in after a day and night spent in vulnerable shock from his words. She had never pitied Michael, that much was true, but she did love him. It was difficult for either of them to stay together long enough to say the words and, even if they had, there would have been skid marks out of town. Michael couldn't handle the idea that he was getting close to something real with Maria and it was a coping mechanism for him to push her away. Like the body's immune system kicking in just when it was needed, Michael's hatred for the world burst forth on those closest to him as a means of locking them out. He had said it once before, that he didn't need to be loved, that it was a weakness. On one occasion, after they had fought for a week, Maria had finally patched everything up and, in a rare moment of true intimacy, Michael had shown her the chink in his armour. It sent shivers down Maria's spine to recall the hardness in his voice, "I do it because I want to be hated. I don't deserve to be loved."

He had been left so many times, by his alien parents, by Max and Isabel in the desert, by countless foster parents. It was hardly surprising that, after seventeen years, Michael couldn't comprehend why love was so important to the rest of the world. He had survived without it so far, why knock a good thing? That was just it though, Maria thought. He had 'survived'. He hadn't lived, he hadn't experienced. Michael Guerin had locked his soul away somewhere in the recesses of that impregnable mind, all but the anger and resentment which he flung out occasionally.

Maria's gaze travelled from Michael's cobwebbed, cracked corner of the ceiling, across the lamp shade and towards her own enlightened side by the window. The space between them seemed interminable. Maria felt a shimmer of frustration - the daylight could never reach that far. How was she supposed to get there?

Like a bolt of lightning striking through her brain, it came to her. There was only one way. She would have to go into the gloom and build the light up from the inside out. Yes, she would have to share the dismal mess inside Michael, go under the cobwebs and delve into the cracks. She could never reach him without true understanding.

First, Maria had to prove herself to him, prove that he meant the world to her. And she knew just how to do it.

END OF PART TWO


	3. Chapter Three : An Angel To The Skies

GODS AND MONSTERS 

By Allegra

(See Part One for disclaimers etc.) Please nourish the feedback monster.

CHAPTER THREE : AN ANGEL TO THE SKIES

* * *

"Max, we can't keep meeting like this." Liz smiled, coyly, as her boyfriend pulled her back into the eraser room for the third time that day. He ignored her feeble protest and continued nuzzling her neck. Liz succumbed for a moment before pushing him away from her. "Max!"  
"What?"  
"I've got an extra credit meeting thing with Mr. Kadinsky in two minutes."  
Max all but ignored the remonstration, resuming his playful kissing along her neck. Liz giggled. She hadn't seen Max so open in his affection towards her for an age. There had always been some big, angry cloud hovering just beyond Max's grip, a constant distracting force between the two adolescent lovers. For the first time in months, Liz felt like any ordinary teenager making out with her boyfriend. It was strange, really, considering that the horizon was anything but clear right now. There were huge dust clouds hurtling towards Roswell in the form of this CEO group and it was only a matter of time before matters became too serious to avoid any longer.  
Swiping aside the little voice of reason and pessimism, Liz gripped Max round the back of his neck and kissed him deeply. "There," she uttered as she pulled away. "That's a Parker super-smacker. It should last until at least last period. I'll see you later." Extricating her fingers from between Max's own, Liz stepped out into the corridor and straightened her clothes for the umpteenth time since she left home.

* * *

Isabel took a huge bite from the greasy burger in her hand, watching the repulsive oily fat dribble down her perfectly manicured fingers. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten a real beef burger and not just picked at the fries. Ever since her attempted apology to Alex, she had just felt worse about herself than before she had seen him. Instead of feeling the satisfaction of extending the olive branch, she was starting to feel surges of self-loathing over what she had done. Now, Isabel had reached the epitome of hatred, turning against herself. She would eat this horrible, disgusting burger with all its fat and dead animal parts; she would turn herself into the fat, ugly, hideous witch she deserved to be for what Alex had suffered.

Since speaking to Maria the previous day, Isabel had found herself unable to shake an unsettling notion from her brain. Apart from the Tabasco sauce situation and the inevitable powers, she had never believed the whole 'aliens are cold and cruel' spiel which was so commonly wheeled out at the UFO Centre and on TV. It was true that both Liz and Maria had accused the threesome of being cold and aloof, but that had been a purposeful attempt to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. It had never come easily to Isabel to stay out of the limelight, to knock back opportunities to make friends or feel like she fitted in. If anything, she found it the hardest out of the three. Max was naturally quiet and introverted while Michael had never been given any reason to trust anyone outside the pod unit. There were thousand of foster kids just like him, defensive and even mean, a product of things they have or haven't seen - hurt, love.

Now, though, Isabel was confronted with new evidence. Both she and Michael had reacted in exactly the same way towards their respective partners. Perhaps the tales did hold some water after all. Maria was suffering just like Alex and yet neither one deserved that kind of cruelty. Okay, so everyone feels constricted and claustrophobic in any relationship at some point. It is inevitable when you spend so much time in one person's company. Lovers lash out at one another out of frustration, not hate. This argument could have happened between any couple in Roswell or anywhere else in the world for that matter. Isabel had even picked up the pieces with her cheerleader friends. Why should she feel like she and Michael were special somehow? Deep down, Isabel knew why. No matter how much she felt for Alex or how much he was there for her, she knew it would never amount to anything. What guy could put up with the pressure of living with an alien for the rest of his life? Who even knew how long Isabel's life would be in relation to his anyway?

The point was that she didn't need Alex, she never had. He was a distraction, a convention of teenage life. He was just another part of the real 'earth' life or a character in the puppet show Isabel, Max and Michael played their role in. But to Alex, it was all very different. He saw a girlfriend whom he loved, someone who was more than just an alien novelty. It had taken Isabel a long time to realise it, but she had grown to accept it. Alex truly cared for her, unconditionally. How could they ever be together, happily?

So, when all the chips were down, the public image of alien life was sort of true. People had just caught hold of the wrong end of the stick. It wasn't that aliens were cold and cruel; they just didn't know how to function on the level humans needed to see. It wasn't in them. It was asking the impossible.

* * *

"Liz, you're an A-grade student. Now, I don't want to knock a good thing but sometimes I wonder why extra credit is so important to you."

Liz served up her famous Parker-waitress 'Have a nice day' smile and shoved the borrowed textbook into her bag. "Well, I guess that's what keeps me in the top percentage, Mr. Kadinsky."

The teacher smiled, "Yeah, well don't give me too much work, Miss Parker. I don't want to spend my vacation coming up with extra projects for you. Good luck."

"Thank you." Liz was just getting up to leave when there was a sharp knock at the door.

Mr. Kadinsky glanced up at the wall clock, wondering if he had overrun. "Come in."

Mrs. Amos, the school secretary, poked her head round the door, a look of sheer relief crossing her round face. "Oh, thank goodness you are here, Liz. Sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Kadinsky. Could I borrow Liz for a moment?"

"Of course. We're done here, right, Liz?" Liz nodded, already suspicious. She had seen that look on people's faces before and it usually involved her providing some kind of explanation for events or her friends' whereabouts.  
"Thank you, Mr. Kadinsky," she quickly said as she followed Mrs. Amos out of the office.

Mrs. Amos walked remarkably quickly for someone of her diminutive stature. She had thick legs with feet tucked neatly into high heels which always looked several sizes too small. Liz had to take an occasional skip just to keep up with her. Her heart was already beating nineteen to the dozen and she knew it had nothing to do with the pace. "What's going on, Mrs. Amos?"

"Mrs. DeLuca is on the telephone. Apparently her daughter, Maria, hasn't been home since yesterday. She told me to find you. Are you two good friends?"

Liz nodded, wishing she wasn't being forced into this situation yet another time. She would have Maria's guts for garters when she caught up with her.  
Mrs. Amos misread the expression on the teenager's face and quickly added, "I'm sure everything's just fine, dear. I wouldn't fret yourself."

By the time they reached the office, Liz's mind was swimming with possible explanations she could offer Mrs. DeLuca to cover Maria's back at least until this evening. Chances are that one of the gang knew where she was and had just failed to pass the information onto Liz. Typical, she thought.

Mrs. Amos suddenly broke into a glorious smile as if the person at the other end of the phone could see her face. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mrs. DeLuca. I've found Liz Parker for you. I'll just hand you over."

Liz took the phone confidently, hoping her body language might be reflected in the words she said, that they might ooze confidence and reassurance. "Hey, Mrs. DeLuca..." Her welcome was quickly overridden by a torrent of concerned abuse. "Mrs. DeLuca, I'm really sorry, I haven't seen Maria since last night. I thought maybe she was sick today."

"You mean you have no idea where my daughter is? Liz, you're her best friend but I'm her mother. Please don't cover for her. Just tell me if she's safe."

Liz turned away from the desk where Mrs. Amos was trying desperately hard to hide her curiosity from beneath her half-moon spectacles. Lowering her voice, Liz continued, "Mrs. DeLuca, if I knew where Maria was I'd come up with a better excuse than that I just don't know. You know, come to think of it, she and Michael had a row last night. Maybe she just needed some time to cool off or something. I could..."

"Time to cool off does not include school hours, Liz!"

"I know and I'll go look for her right after last period. I could try some of our usual hangouts. Michael or Isabel might know where she is."

"Fine, you do that. Sorry to be so snappy, Liz, but a mother worries about her only daughter."

Liz's face softened slightly at the tone of desperation and fear in the woman's voice. There were times when Maria's mother was like an extra nagging machine which she didn't need, but the tone of Mrs. DeLuca's voice was enough to soften her temper. "I know. I'll let you know as soon as I find her."

"Thank you, Liz. You're a good girl." There was a click and the phone went dead. Liz handed the receiver back to Mrs. Amos and ducked out of the office, narrowly avoiding the swell of questions she could sense barely contained in the gossipy secretary.

* * *

Liz avoided Max's lovelorn gaze throughout last period, her mind suddenly occupied with speculation about where Maria might have holed up for the entire day. It took a lot to knock a DeLuca down but the more Liz pondered the puzzle, the more her mind wandered back to one person with the power to really piss her off. Shrugging off her boyfriend's playful attempts at puppy love antics on the way out of class, Liz quickly made her way to the carpentry room down the hall.

"Michael." The owner of the scruffy hair lifted his goggles, wiping sweat and dust from his face.  
"Hi, Liz." He gave her his traditional expression of wariness and faint disinterest. Liz felt herself prickle with annoyance. When times got rough, her loyalty would always lie with Maria and, where Mr. Guerin was involved, she had little patience with him. No matter what she told herself, if Max could make the effort to extend some kindness and sensitivity, Michael must be capable of it too, underneath his tough, indifferent veneer.  
Crossing her arms tightly over her chest, Liz sharply asked, "Did you know Maria is missing?"  
Michael shifted uncomfortably, his dark eyes roving anywhere but on Liz's face. She hated that. There were times when he was so transparent it made Liz want to hit him for being so mean. "No."  
"Didn't you wonder why she wasn't in school?"  
"I wasn't aware one day off school was a cause for concern." He all but mumbled the words as he fiddled distractedly with the piece of wood he had been working on, his fingers moving up and down the splintered edge with calm precision.  
Liz fought against the urge to shout at him for being such a bastard. She didn't know what was troubling Maria exactly but, from the vibes she was getting off Michael, he did.  
"Don't play innocent with me, Michael. I know you and Maria had a fight last night and it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."  
Michael's glare snapped back at her with guilty defiance. "So?"  
"So, 'fess up. What did you say to her?"  
Michael licked his lips and shrugged, "I didn't say anything. I don't know why you're so worried."  
Liz's temper flared, unwittingly. "You don't know why I'm so worried?! Let me give you a clue. Maria and I have been friends since we were, like, tiny. She means more to me than nearly everyone else in my life. Her mother was on the phone to me earlier today worried sick about where her daughter is. If you cared about Maria half as much as either of us, then you'd be just as concerned." Liz registered the glimmer of regret as it tinged Michael's expression. She went in for the kill. "Maybe Maria was right though, maybe you don't care for her after all, maybe you are just the cold..."  
"Fine, fine, we fought, okay?!"  
Liz felt a surge of relief wash over her. She had figured as much but she couldn't be sure until she had Michael's word for it. There had been a part of her which was so frightened that there hadn't been any quarrel and Maria's disappearance was linked to something much more sinister.  
"Did this have anything to do with what she said at the town meeting the other night?"  
Michael scratched absently at the back of his head, feigning indifference. "Yeah, a little. We just... she said some things and I said some things..." Liz could see that the poor guy was squirming. She didn't need the details, just the motivation for doing a runner. "Was it enough to make her bolt?" She looked at Michael's face, expectantly. Was it too much to ask for him to have any idea how much he had hurt his girlfriend?  
"Maybe. I don't know, Liz. You know what Maria's like. I never know what goes on in her head."  
"Fine, thanks." Liz marched to the door. She had to find Maria and quickly, before Mrs. DeLuca threw an absolute fit and had the police out.

* * *

Maria rummaged through her backpack, searching frantically for the vial of soothing oil she was sure she had put somewhere. For the first time in ages, she really felt like she wouldn't be able to take another step forward without some kind of support. Maria cursed herself for being so reliant on the little routine fixes she constructed for herself throughout the day. If she ever managed to get herself inside that damned place, they might impose a ton of rules on her and she'd never see her aromatherapy oils again.

She had been two steps ahead of herself all the way but was starting to have second thoughts about how wise it was to leave her mom's car at home. The idea was for no one to find her until she had been given a chance to achieve what she had set out to do. The drawback of this was hitching a ride into the middle of the desert with some sleazy long-haul truck driver who spent the entire journey make lewd comments and trying to get an eyeful of the teenager's legs beneath her light summer skirt.

Finally, she had escaped his vile clutches and was left to confront the treacherous journey away from the highway. Her map told her she had been heading in the right direction but, as the midday heat strengthened its hold on the dry ground, Maria began to feel increasingly worried about what she was doing here. For all she knew, her map reading skills could be completely off kilter and she was walking mindlessly deeper into the dangerous, uninhabited territory of the desert region. Maria morbidly entertained the idea of what she might look like as a set of bleached bones slowly picked apart by scavenging birds and vultures. She wondered which part of her would be last to go - the leather shoes or her blonde hair? Who knew what the creatures out here would take a fancy to.

"Get a grip, Maria," she murmured to herself as she wiped beads of sweat from her forehead. Finally, she felt something small and glass hit her hand and she pulled the cedar oil from her bag with an exclamation of triumph. Maria closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying vainly to lose herself in the sweet scent of forests and peaceful tranquillity. Somehow, instead of envisaging natural beauty, the teenager found herself imagining her room at home. The cedar scent lingered in her bedroom, her clothes and even her locker at school. It conjured up images of all the home comforts which made her feel secure again. Yet, they were distant from her now and she had to keep going. Maria had made a promise to herself that she was going to do this, no matter what. Adjusting her hat and sunglasses against the glaring sun's rays, the small figure continued her trek into the unforgiving wilderness.

* * *

"Max, I can't find her." Liz gripped the phone tightly, her nerves bunching in a futile gesture of courage. She knew there was little hope in asking anyone else where her best friend might be but, right now, Liz really needed to hear a comforting voice.

"Do you want me to come over? We could take the jeep somewhere, see if we can track her down."

Liz suddenly felt an overwhelming desire to cry. She knew Maria hadn't been missing long but the simple question crushed her. The teenager was so used to being in control, to having a solution or possible way forward. Suddenly, Liz had no idea what she was supposed to say. Part of her wanted to go with Max but another part of her thought Maria might come to the Crashdown or something. Liz was so afraid of missing her that she couldn't think of a single thing to do. "I don't know, Max. What if she comes back and I'm not here?"

Hearing the flustered tone in his girlfriend's voice, Max calmly offered, "Well, you stay put and I'll get Isabel and Michael to help me look further afield."

Liz was torn between half relief and the desperate desire to see Max for herself, to feel his reassuring arms around her. No matter where she was or what the predicament, Max had a way of making everything seem all right again. Still, right now she needed to focus her energy on finding Maria and keeping Mrs. DeLuca from going out of her mind.

"Thanks, Max. Just...be careful."

Max felt the glimmer of a smile pass across his lips at the ever-present concern Liz showed for him. "I will. Bye."

* * *

Maria felt like she'd been walking forever and every step forward felt like a hundred. The sun had moved from centre stage but it's rays were no less vicious. The burning light fell on her pale skin, bathing her in fever. Stopping, Maria couldn't resist swallowing back the last of her water. She wasn't going to make it much further unless a knight in shining armour appeared at her side. Weakly dragging herself deeper and deeper into the desert, Maria knew she should have found this place hours ago. Even if she were a few miles out, the building would have shown up like a beacon on the flat, arid landscape.

Self-pity was gradually consumed by light-headedness and Maria found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the scrubby path ahead of her. The scattered outcrops of hardy plants undulated before her eyes and the horizon became lost in waves of heat until the teenager couldn't be sure whether she was still following the same path or wandering in a haze further and further away from her goal.

Maria's feet mechanically stumbled on, occasionally betraying her, until finally she fell to the ground, swallowing a mouthful of filthy, desert sand. Coughing and spluttering, she pushed herself weakly to her knees. God, it felt like hours since she had first started walking. Looking at her watch, Maria could see nothing but a wavy clock face with drooping hands which moved first one way then another, never still. She wiped angrily at the tears and sweat gathering in her vision. Still, it did no good. Maria looked up to survey the surroundings and her shoulders heaved with sobs when she found nothing but the cracked, dry sand all the way to the horizon.

Dragging her backpack into place, Maria made one final effort to get to her feet. She had barely gone five paces before she fell once more. Like a rag doll, her limbs refused to obey her. Maria took a ragged gasp through fresh tears and her voice was barely a whisper, "God, what have I done? Stupid..." All will left her and the cruel glare of the day-star slowly glimmered before her eyes, first changing from warm yellow to bright white before being finally absorbed by the black dots in its midst. Maria saw and heard no more.

* * *

"What's up, Maxwell?" Michael enquired through a mouthful of banana. Max made no attempt to enter the apartment."Michael, Maria's still missing."

As if unable to pre-empt his feelings and keep them in check, Max saw a look of horror flood his friend's face before Michael composed himself again. "What about Liz? I thought she'd know where to look."

"She's tried everywhere Maria might normally go. Are you coming?"

Michael tossed the remainder of his banana on the counter and grabbed his jacket, following his friend out to the jeep where Isabel was already waiting. Max started the car and skidded from the kerb. No one spoke until they reached the mall and dropped Isabel off. She was going to search the more urban areas while the boys tried further afield.

Michael suggested, "We should try that CEO place outside town. Maybe she went there."

Max braced himself for impact, "Liz mentioned something about you two fighting. Do you really think she'd go there?"

Michael looked accusingly at his friend. "It was nothing, all right."

"Nothing enough for her to do a runner?"

Michael glared back at Max. "I don't know, all right! I don't know what would make Maria do a runner just like I don't know what she'd like for her birthday or why she has to spend an hour each morning on her hair! I don't know!"

Max scrutinised Michael's face for a moment. "Okay, sorry I asked. Let's head out to the CEO first then."

* * *

Neither said anything for the remainder of the journey. Without a car of his own, Michael rarely had the pleasure of feeling the gentle wind against his face, staring up at the sky from which he had come in 1947. Strange to think how he had been part of a crash, one of only a handful of accidents in the universe, the small end of the odds. Somehow Michael had drawn the short straw ever since he landed on this planet - a mistake from the beginning of his life. Did karma count all across the universe? Would he be as unhappy back home as he was here?

Even the small moments of pleasure and goodness in his world seemed to fall apart. He couldn't make anything work - family, friends, Maria. It all seemed to slip through his fingers through no one's fault but his own. Just when there was a chance at happiness, he had to play a wild card, back to playing solitaire. The more questions Max and Liz asked about his argument with Maria, the angrier Michael reactions became. To everyone else, it was just another way of shirking responsibility, but to Michael, it was a defence against the things he knew no one could alter except himself. He hadn't stopped thinking about Maria since the previous night and the more he thought, the stronger his self-loathing became. She had just been trying to help in a typical Maria kind of way but he had rebuffed her as if she meant nothing to him. He never even knew who he was trying to protect, himself, her, Max and Isabel. Instead of affection, he had poured hatred into every word and now nobody could undo it but him. Talking about just made him even more furious at himself for digging himself another hole from which he must clamber. No matter how his friends perceived him, Michael knew that he had to find Maria because he cared, more than he wanted to admit.

"We're here." Max's jeep drew to a halt outside a featureless white building resting somewhere a few miles off the dusty highway outside Roswell. He drew a deep breath. It sent a shiver up his spine seeing the clinical entrance, a flashing reminder of how he had suffered in a place like this. He flinched at the memory and the irony that what these freaks were looking for were about to come knocking on their front door.

Michael climbed out of the jeep, "Let's go." Oblivious to Max's discomfort in this place, he strode up to the main door and pressed the buzzer. A second later a tinny, distant voice queried over the intercom, "Yes?"  
"Uh, hi, we're from Roswell. We were just out..."  
An impatient voice interjected, "What do you want?"  
Max took over. "A friend of ours has gone missing and we wanted to check the town vicinity before bringing the police in on the matter."  
There was silence for a moment before the voice returned, "There'll be someone down in just a moment."

The two teenagers waited patiently; Max kicked the dirt absently, trying to keep his cool. The last thing they needed was for him to draw unnecessary attention to them. A moment later, a figure appeared at the glass door. He looked the complete opposite of what either boy had expected, smiling and unthreatening. "It's a hot day to be driving through the desert in a soft top. Come on inside for a moment."

Max hovered uncertainly on the threshold. He didn't want to be any closer to these people than he had to. It was as if he expected the building to be wired for extraterrestrial frequencies or something, ready to set off alarms the second he set foot inside. To his relief, his imagination did a better job than the CEO.

The man led them to one of the white leather sofas in the lobby and courteously provided each of his guests with a welcomed glass of cold water before extending a hand to shake. "Bob Silva."  
Neither Max nor Michael had expected a long enough conversation to warrant exchanging names and Max floundered for a second to think of a name, any name which he could adopt. "Bill and this is David."  
Bob eyed them closely as if measuring them up against some internal chart. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry if I was short with you over the intercom. Were you at our meeting the other day?"  
Michael casually said, "I was working, but word gets around."  
Bob smiled, "Well, you missed out on a treat, David." He placed deliberate emphasis on the name, his eyes twinkling as if he could see right through their disguise but was simply playing along. "Anyway, our spokesman, Theodore Preston, kindly offered to talk to anyone who cared to show up here and enlighten them." He rolled his eyes then laughed. "Don't get me wrong, Theodore's a great man, a fabulous speaker, but after the first twenty angry, accusing citizens of Roswell came banging on the door, you can understand us being less than enthusiastic about hearing that buzzer go off." He fluttered his hand nonchalantly in front of his face. "Anyway, what is it we can be of service for?"

Michael said nothing. He was staring intently at their host and Max couldn't be sure if he was just being rude or whether he truly had no idea what he was doing. Mr. Frank's curious gaze lingered on Michael for a moment before turning to Max when he stepped in to cover the uncomfortable silence. "A friend of ours has been missing since yesterday. She's still in school and her mother is worried to death, not to mention her friends. We were just wondering if anyone had been out this way in the past twenty-four hours."

"I'm afraid I can't help you, gentlemen. Perhaps if you had a picture I could look out at dinner tonight. We get people wandering into the CEO from all sorts of different backgrounds. We don't ask any questions. The past is not important to us. I don't believe any Roswell folk have joined our ranks yet but I can certainly look for your little friend. Do you have a picture of her?"

Max looked to Michael. He was Maria's boyfriend, after all. Michael was still lost, staring vacantly at the man's face as if he himself were some kind of extraterrestrial. "Michael?" Max enquired loudly.

Michael all but jumped out of his skin, "What?"

"Do you have a photo of Maria?"

"No. No, I don't."

The man looked a little disappointed and Max didn't like the vibes he was getting off him. It was as if he had been hoping for a little eye candy to keep in his bottom drawer rather than as a helpful resource for finding Maria. "Oh. Well, perhaps you could describe..." He waved his hands in the pair's direction as if waiting for a prompt as to the girl's name.

Max didn't like the idea of telling him anything but they needed to find Maria and the more people that knew it the better. "Maria DeLuca."

"...Maria for me," he concluded.

Max wasn't sure if it was just the paranoia feeding into him or whether the threat was actually there but suddenly he didn't feel like letting Mr. Frank in on anything else about their group. Michael was acting weirdly as well which never boded well for keeping cool. In the milliseconds which separated natural silence from something more ominous, Max contemplated how to deal with this situation. On the one hand, they really needed to find Maria, but deep inside his mind was telling him the CEO weren't the ones who would help. He tried to sound as vague as possible. "Well, she's about sixteen, but then I guess she looks a lot older than that, right Michael?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Uh, she's got kind of strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes...I can't think what else really."

Silva surveyed Max's face as if convinced that he was hiding information. Max's heart was beating nineteen to the dozen under the man's steely stare. He felt transparent. Finally, Silva's gaze shifted to the clock above their heads. "Well, I suppose I should be grateful we didn't pitch ourselves in California or every girl I pass would be a possible candidate. Still, I'll be sure to let you know if we find your friend. Would you care to leave a number where I could contact you?"

Max replied, almost too quickly, "Um, I guess the Roswell sheriff station would be best really."

"I thought you didn't want the police involved."

Max nodded, "Well, if she doesn't get back to Roswell by this evening, her mother will contact Sheriff Valenti anyway."

Mr. Silva looked from one teenager to the other. It was as if he was planning his next move, watching them for some sign of...Max couldn't guess what. Standing up uneasily, Max offered his hand to shake. "Thank you, Mr. Frank. Sorry to have bothered you."

Silva's eyes flitted over the extended hand and shook it quickly before looking to Michael and offering his hand to the reticent teenager. "It was nice to meet you, David."

Michael made no move to accept it and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, ditto." Immune to the social niceties, he headed for the door without so much as a look back. For once, Max was grateful for his friend's interpersonal shortcomings and, managing another courteous smile, pushed the door open and stepped back out into the burning sunshine.

* * *

Isabel flicked absently through the racks of clothes, her eyes glazed with indifference. Usually, a trip to the mall was all she needed to get her energy juices pumping again but today her mind just couldn't make the leap from Alex Whitman to the latest fashion in sweaters. It was going to take a lot more than shopping to fix the way she was feeling and the worst part was that Isabel knew it was entirely out of her hands now. She had tried apologising to him and he had all but thrown it back in her face. For the first time in her life, she was going to have to sit back and wait for him to come to her. No matter which way she looked at it, Isabel knew that only time would tell if she had wounded Alex beyond redemption.

"Can I help you?" The singsong voice of the shop assistant lurched Isabel into the present with a jolt.  
"Uh, yeah. Do you have this top in blue?"  
"We sure do. What size?" Isabel mumbled the details and meekly followed the assistant to the changing rooms. It was unlike her to be pushed around by anyone where fashion was concerned, but today was different and before she knew it, Isabel was leaving the shop with her wallet $30 lighter and a sweater to wear in the 105 degree heat.

Making her way wearily to the food court, she heard a familiar laugh booming out behind her. She turned to the corner reigned by Dairy Queen and Isabel's heart lurched when she saw the owner of that laugh. Alex. The last person on earth she wanted to talk to but yet the only person she could think about. At first, he didn't seem to see her but a quick nudge in his ribs from one of his friends soon brought Isabel to his attention. The muscles in his face gradually loosened from a smile to something resembling indifference. But Isabel could still see deeper, she could see the hurt in his face and ducked her head, ashamed of what she had done.

She moved swiftly away from the group, towards the Coffee Bean situated a good distance from the Dairy Queen. Isabel quickly ordered herself a strong espresso and seated herself behind a huge plant, hoping the saying 'out of sight, out of mind' would prove itself to be true.

* * *

Maria felt like she was floating on a cloud. Her body seemed weightless, her nerves immune to all sensations, like running her hand through a powder puff. She knew there should be something there but her fingertips couldn't feel a thing. Her mind was a fog of indifferent, calm and at peace. A moment ago she hadn't even been thinking, so what did this mean? Was she dead? Maria's brain reached randomly for recent thoughts, trying to piece together an image of what she had been doing and find an explanation for this out-of-body experience. Like a bullet tearing through her, the memories came flooding back. She had been in the desert, desperately wandering on a path which only wended further and further into the desert. Maria couldn't remember finding sanctuary anywhere. Could it be possible that she had died there? Or that she was still lying in the heat of the afternoon sun?

A cool cloth draped over her forehead awakened her sluggish senses and Maria felt her breathing quicken with concern and invigoration. Hands gently adjusted bedclothes around her body and the teenager could hear the smooth sound of water being poured into a glass beside her. A moment later, she heard the door shut. Maria lay still for a moment then slowly slid her eyes open, quickly taking stock of the room and its lack of occupants. The walls were whitewashed and, apart from the bed, every other piece of furniture appeared to be made from glass - the side table, the cabinets on the walls. From the items inside, Maria guessed this must be some kind of medical wing, but it was unlike any facility she had ever seen. It lacked all the usual rudiments of the local hospital but was too well equipped to be anyone's home. She felt a prickling along her spine as she considered the possibility that she had been captured by some psycho who had spent years building the perfect torture chamber. Perhaps she had been found near his lair, far from civilisation where her screams would never be heard.

All but leaping from the bed, Maria began searching frantically for something to attack her guard with. It was only then that she realised someone had undressed her, leaving her with only her underwear and a short shift dress to preserve her modesty. "God," was all she could utter as she knelt to peer under the bed, hoping to find the rest of her garments.

It was in this position, with her rear end stuck in the air, that Maria met her 'gaolers'.  
"Maria DeLuca?"  
Maria lifted her head with shock and promptly bashed her head on the bed frame. Wincing, she backed out as graciously as the situation allowed her. Trying to calm her fiercely beating heart, Maria tried to keep her cool. Whoever this crazy person was, she was going to have to play along with them for a while. The feisty, stoic DeLuca began to rear her head once more. Not only did she have to get out of this dump, but she was also on a mission. Her boyfriend's future might rest on the discoveries Maria made at the CEO headquarters.

She was just about to answer her name in reflex reaction when the teen remembered everything she had preparing for. This trek into the desert hadn't exactly been unplanned. Sure, the passing out in the midday heat had been an added bonus but Maria had intended this to be an undercover mission. She had to keep her cool but come up with an alternative name pretty damn fast.  
"What?" was the best she could muster as she whirled around.

The woman who faced her was a sinewy creature with thin blonde hair which hung lankly against her shoulders. She had a small nose which looked as if it would have a propensity for twitching. Her diluted blue eyes scanned Maria with birdlike interest, a vulnerable animal weighing up the strengths of its larger predator. Somehow, Maria found the woman intensely irritating without having exchanged more than a few words with her.

Gathering her wits, she feigned disorientation. "Uh, my name is Cathy, Cathy...Bateman."

The woman continued to stare, making Maria feel uncomfortable. She had only just made it inside the gates of the CEO and it felt as if her cover had already been blown. "Well...Cathy, how are you feeling?"

"I'm still feeling a little shaky. Actually, for a moment there, I almost forgot what had happened," Maria replied. She attempted a smile which was met frostily.

"Since you are well enough to get up, you can get dressed. Mr. Preston and Mr. Silva would like to speak to you."

Maria felt the nerves creeping back into her stomach. She was trapped here now and nobody knew where she had gone. They were a weird cult and might do anything to her. Now she was meeting with the chief freaks and she hadn't even had time to design her game plan.

Mustering up some composure, she calmly smiled, "Do I get some clothes for the occasion?"

"Here." Maria was handed some dubious looking lightweight material which unfolded to reveal a V-necked T-shirt and drawstring trousers which closely resembled hospital scrubs. The woman hovered for a moment as if planning on watching her undress, before catching Maria's reproachful eye. "I'll wait outside."

* * *

Just five more minutes, thought Liz as she pulled another order through the hatch. The time had passed like an age, as it always did when Liz was worrying. There was nothing worse than having to plaster a superficial smile across her face while her insides were turning over on themselves with worry about what was happening with Max. It was always something to do with Max. That was the only certainty in her life right now. If there were anything to be worried about, it would involve her boyfriend. Still, that was all part and parcel of getting involved with another species.

After the interminable five minutes had passed, she flung off her alien headband with disdain, announcing, "I'm off." Ignoring her father's comment that the next shift waitress hadn't turned up yet, Liz slipped into the backroom and headed upstairs to get changed before Max arrived. She could feel the grease on her skin and hair. Glancing at her watch, Liz figured she had enough time for a quick shower before meeting him outside the UFO Centre.

"Max!" The brooding young man turned to see Michael marching purposefully towards him. Max tried to contain his surprise, considering he had only just left his friend at his home and was looking forward to a quiet evening with Liz. As per usual, Michael was not too quick on the uptake. "You wanna come to the cinema with me?"

Max stared at him in disbelief. "Michael, I already told you I was meeting Liz."

"Yeah, but I figured she could tag along, too."

"How can you go to the movies when Maria is still missing? Aren't you even the slightest bit worried about what's happened to her?" Max couldn't hide his incredulity at Michael's reaction. Sometimes he knew Maria could overstate what an inattentive boyfriend he was at times but this was beyond Max's comprehension.

Michael snapped back, "What am I supposed to do, Maxwell? Am I supposed to sit around soulfully like you do when Liz isn't around? I can't do anything so I'm occupying myself. What's so wrong about that?"

Max softened a little. He knew Michael could be insensitive sometimes but often it was just a cover for how hurt he was really feeling. "Maybe you're right, but Liz and I wanted tonight to ourselves."

Michael nodded, bluntly. "Fine. I'll see you later."

As if in perfect synchronisation, just as Michael rounded the corner onto Mayberry Street, Max caught sight of Liz coming his way. She looked gorgeous and pristine, as always, and he could feel his own fingers itching to touch her. Max inwardly chastised himself. Liz was worried out of her mind about Maria and he knew he should be, too. Still, he couldn't resist a gentle kiss on her lips when she was in his grasp.

She responded for a moment before brushing him aside. "Did you find anything?"

"No. I'm sorry." The words came out a millisecond too quickly, somehow lacking in sincerity. Max could see that Liz was struggling with the news. Her eyes searched his face for a moment as if unable to digest what he said, still waiting for the answer to her question. "But we've still got plenty of places to try." It was small comfort to a girl who had lost her best friend in what was, considering their lifestyle, likely to be dangerous circumstances. Max drew her towards him and Liz didn't resist him.

She leaned her head wearily against his chest, her eyes roaming vacantly across the shadows on the other side of the street. "What are we going to do, Max?"

Max had been dreading that question just as much as Liz had been yearning to ask it. Ever since he had left the CEO with Michael, he had been racking his brains for some lead as to where Maria might have gone. He had come up empty handed. The only thought which repeatedly infiltrated his mind was the suspicious manner of Bob Silva. If Maria was inside, they were going to have to rescue her and that meant putting the whole group in danger. Max didn't like that prospect even a tiny bit.

"We'll think of something. We've got to."

* * *

Maria was escorted along scores of corridors, all made entirely of glass, mostly frosted so that adjacent rooms could not be seen. The whole complex seemed to be covered with random lines and numbers, as if someone had swiped a compass in huge arching curves along the floor and up half a wall, then further up written a calculation. It reminded Maria of her own maths book, full of scribblings and attempts at balancing an equation.

She was met at the door of one room by a face she recognised, that of the speaker from the town hall, Theodore Preston. His face showed none of the annoyance it had displayed that night under the rain of questions Maria had showered on him. She only hoped his memory of one face in a crowd was poor. Maria made no attempt to show any recognition on her part. This was an undercover mission, after all. Fortunately for her, either Mr. Preston's game plan was more complex than hers was or he had completely forgotten her already.

"Do come in." He gestured to his office with a sweeping hand and Maria stepped uncertainly into the large chamber. It was in keeping with the rest of building's interiors that she had seen. Huge windows lined the far side of the room with enviable views of the desert stretching into the distance. For a moment Maria was stunned by the beauty of the place but the sentiment quickly soured as she began to realise how isolated she had now become. She would be lucky to get a signal on her cell phone here and, while she was doing great on her own so far, it unsettled the teenager to think how far from home she had wandered without telling anyone. Suddenly, impressing Michael with her inside scoop didn't seem like the smartest idea she had ever cooked up.

"Can I offer you a drink?" Preston moved towards the drinks cabinet and opened a small refrigerator. "I'm afraid our new home has a few small details to be ironed out - in our case, it's the air conditioning."

"Just some water would do me fine." Maria was torn between the numbing thirst she had been feeling ever since she woke up and the desire to knock back a bottle of whiskey to calm her nerves.

Oblivious to the watchful stare of his companion, Theodore poured them both some drinks. "Yes, I should think you're mighty thirsty, young lady. Our resident doctor took the liberty of giving you a nutrient IV when you were brought in...otherwise I'd imagine you'd have a headache worth considering suicide over." Maria was a little taken aback by the analogy but chose to ignore it. Theodore handed her the water and moved towards a seat opposite her.

As he turned, Maria could smell the clean scent of fresh cotton and a slight aroma of sandalwood. His attire couldn't have been much more different to the hideous suit he had donned the other night. The combination of brown and mint had been replaced with light khaki trousers and a loose white shirt with bell sleeves. He wore a matching leather bracelet and pendant with green beads strung at intervals. His feet were bare and Maria couldn't help thinking this would have been a much better image to present to the folk of Roswell. An ageing hippie was infinitely preferable to the community than a raving lunatic who wore wool in the midday heat.

"How are you feeling now?"

Maria took a sip of water, "Much better. I should really thank whoever found me. They saved my life."

"Oh, I'll introduce you to your saviour later on if you'd like. Right now, would you mind answering a few questions for me?"

Maria hadn't really had time to gather her thoughts together and plan how she was going to deal with the situation. Her original plan had been to find the facility before knocking on their door. Her little accident in the desert had somewhat ruined that. "Of course not."

Mr. Preston gave a lopsided smile which Maria felt a little comforted by. She had run rings round this guy in the town hall. Who's to say she couldn't do it again? "I think we'd get off to a fine start if I knew your name."

"Cathy," Maria blurted out a little too quickly. "Cathy Bateman."

"Cathy." He repeated the word as if trying it on for size. "And what was a young woman like you doing roaming the desert alone and unequipped?"

Maria replied, indignantly, "I was well-equipped. I just got a bit lost, I suppose."

"Were you looking for our facility?"

"If you want the truth...yes, I was." Maria knew the best way to lie was to paint it over with a little truth. So far, Theodore Preston seemed to be biting. "I knew it was somewhere around here but I guess my bearings went a little out."

He nodded, sympathetically. "Might I ask why?"

Maria tried her hardest to provide an image of someone with nothing to hide - all open and chatty. "I missed you at Roswell town hall and I'm really interested in all this stuff."

At this, Preston's face fell into deep lines of concern and severity. "Excuse my bluntness, Miss Bateman, but the CEO is not a tourist centre full of artefacts and interactive displays. It is a private institute which is paid for primarily by its members. Now I don't know to what lengths your interests extend, but let me assure you, we do not take kindly to people who think they can just walk up to the door and expect a guided tour."

Maria steeled herself. Her heart was beating faster at this sudden bitterness which was more applicable to her than Preston realised. "Please, call me Cathy. I really do understand your concerns, Mr. Preston, but I promise you I am more than that. I've heard about your group on the internet but I'm just a small town girl who couldn't afford to visit any of your other branches. I'm really serious about finding out what you know, about being a part of what you are doing here. I'd give my full support to your cause...financial and otherwise. Please, just give me a chance to prove myself."

Preston seemed to soften with her growing pleads. "Money is not our prime objective, Cathy. Of course, it is a very useful means to achieving our full potential as a group. So, what can you tell me about your interests in this field?"

If anyone other than Maria, Liz or Alex had been sitting in that chair, this would have been the moment that their cover was blown. For Maria, however, a couple of years in the company of three aliens had prompted her to read every single book on UFOlogy she could get her hands on and plenty of that information at the forefront of her brain. She would have no trouble impressing Preston with the breadth and depth of her knowledge.

She launched into a discussion about the crash of 1947 and its implications, drawing parallels between obscure sets of data which Maria could tell impressed the pants off Theodore Preston. She rounded off with a few pieces of general information about Max's run-in with Agent Pierce, dropping a few federal names without mentioning her friends, just to make herself sound really up-to-date.

"Well, Cathy, you've certainly given this topic a lot of thought. What do you do for a living?"

"I've worked all over since I graduated high school, picking up casual work to feed my passion. I'm sure you've met a few like me. If I was more business-minded I probably would have tried to found an institution just like the CEO." Maria glanced around the room, adding, "But this place is much more impressive than even I could have envisaged. The papers said building had only begun a few weeks ago. They certainly threw this place up quickly."

Preston took a sip of his water, "Well, pre-packed glass walls reduce the building by a significant amount, but the press misquoted our representative. We've been working out here for a good few months."

"What do all the numbers and lines mean?" Maria regretted the question the instant it left her lips. She had overstepped a mark of curiosity which would set her back in the trust stakes with Preston. She could see the change come over his face as he looked at her, deciding what sort of person she was. "One thing at a time, Cathy. We can't give away all our secrets in the first meeting. Perhaps you'd like to have a tour of some of the more...public areas."

Maria felt a tremor of joy enter her brain. Now this was going somewhere. The quicker she discovered even a tiny piece of information about what the CEO were up to, the quicker she could get the hell out of there. "That would be wonderful, if it's not too intrusive."

Preston stood up and moved towards the door, "Don't worry. I won't let you get intrusive. Maybe you could tell me a bit more about yourself while we are going round."

By the end of her guided tour, Maria was starting to enjoy playing the role of nerdy conspiracy theorist as well as honing her detective skills. She had already managed to wean a significant amount of information out of her subject about the CEO's primary goals and they didn't always correlate with what he had said at the town hall.

Preston seemed convinced of his companion's legitimacy and was more than happy to show Maria around a few of the less public areas of the building. Finally, they entered the piece de resistance. "This is where it will all happen," he announced.

"Wow." Maria stammered, unsure of what exactly it was that would happen there, but not wanting to lose her cool. "This place is...quite something." She stared around the cavernous room. It contained absolutely nothing yet must have covered at least half the floor space of the entire building. The ceiling stretched up to the roof with what appeared to be hinges of a door opening out into the sky. The walls, as in the rest of the building, were adorned with lines and numbers, but something was different about the numbers and lines here. In this room, none of them seemed random anymore. They were closing in around the centre of the space in an erratic pattern of intercepting lines. The numbers began to fit in with one another, and while Maria's maths left something to be desired, she could tell that most of them formed some kind of sum.

"It is quite extraordinary, isn't it?" Preston looked proudly at her and he reminded Maria of a father showing off his newborn child. "Do you know what is in this room?"

"No." There was no point in lying and Maria needed to know this information. Ignorance didn't have to make her untrustworthy after all.

"This is the future, Cathy. This is where it all starts." He strolled around the room in a sort of marked path as if trying to avoid some unseen object in its centre. "We have been intercepting intergalactic messages for a while now and..." He stopped suddenly, flicking his hand nonchalantly in her direction. "I'm sorry, Cathy. I wish I could tell you all this, but I'm going to have to stop myself. I'm sure you understand. This is years of work brought to fruition here. I can't be the one to leak information to unverified sources."

Maria knew when to back down. "Oh, I understand perfectly. I mean, I'm not a journalist or anything but I can totally relate to your concerns. There have been so many times that I've had information I was just dying to tell someone but then it always backfires on you. You think you trust someone and then they are the first ones to stab you in the back."

Preston laughed, hollowly. He had clearly seen a lot of back stabbing in his time. "Let's go back to my office and I'll call someone to take you back into town."

Maria was about to assent. She had more information than Max or Michael could ever have discovered on their own, but somehow the game had got easier and she was ready for another round. Even just one night here would give her plenty of time to sneak around the building a little more or even get an insight into daily activity. "Oh, you mean you don't take on recruits?"

Preston looked at her with measured surprise, "Recruits? Is that why you are here, Miss Bateman?"

"Foolish as it sounds. I guess I just didn't imagine you'd hold interviews at the town hall, so here I am." She feigned stupidity. "I'm sorry. I've gone about this whole thing wrong, haven't I?"

Taken in by her act, Preston put a hand on her back and steered her into the corridor. "No, no. From the reception we got at the town hall the other night, I suppose I wasn't expecting Roswell to throw up any candidates. I suppose a town with a history like that doesn't always take kindly to people like us. Well, I think I've given you enough of a grilling for one day. If you'd like to stay the night, I'm sure we can find a space for you. No doubt, our fellow members will want to get to know you before you are invited to any of the sessions we hold here. You understand?"

"Yes, of course." Maria felt that sinking feeling kick in again. She had just submitted herself to a pretty intensive twenty-four hours of hell. If a single one of these people were anywhere near as suspicious of strangers as Michael, it was going to take more than one day and night to figure out exactly what was going on. Whatever it was, the CEO had enough money and equipment to carry out any cack-handed scheme that entered their deranged minds.

"I'll have someone show you to a room and act as a bit of a guide for a while. No matter how much you agree with our ideas, it is always an eye opener to be confronted by others of your own kind. Some of them have more extreme ideas than you would believe." Theodore gave Maria a kindly smile which she found oddly reassuring, considering that she was duping him and was, therefore, as close to an enemy as she was likely to get.

* * *

Isabel slumped back against the pillow propped up behind the bed head. She looked distastefully at today's sweater purchase. The circumstances of its arrival into her life made it all the more repulsive, totally the wrong colour for her and a style that would only emphasise all her worst features. Isabel turned away from it disgust, catching her reflection in the dresser mirror as she did so. Right now she was finding it difficult to see any redeeming features in herself. Every part of her was a superficial, cruel, heartless, human-less glob of girl. Hell, she probably wasn't even that. She was an alien and that was going to make the rest of her life a misery. She hated herself for it, hated Max and Michael, hated the place she came from - wherever it was.

Pulling herself to the edge of the bed, Isabel studied her face closely. She tried to imagine what that face must look like to someone who didn't know what she really was, what she was hiding. To the all-knowing eye, her secret stared back at her as plain as day. Who could ever misinterpret that hard stare for anything other than an alien creature? Alex never would, not anymore. He had made a mistake he wasn't prone to make again. Isabel had lost him and the pain of that was harder to bear than she ever could have imagined.

If her parents had been downstairs, she would have smashed that looking glass. Everything she owned, touched, looked at, was hideous to her. Isabel felt an eruption of resentment towards Max and Michael. If she had been alone in Roswell, she might never have realised her potential, the powers she had garnered. If it weren't for them, she could have continued being the Isabel she had wanted to be, high school ice queen with any guy scraping his nose to the dirt in front of her and getting manicures at the nail bar. All that was denied her now. She had to sneak around and lie just to hide who she was.

The anger coursed through Isabel's veins with rapid speed and she just wanted to lash out. Raising one hand, she viciously scraped her nails down her cheek, leaving satisfying red tracks in their wake and a burning sensation. The anger balled up, fusing with sadness and desperation, until it forced churning tears to her eyes.

It was in this state that Alex found her. He had thrown stones at her window, vainly, and had eventually knocked on the door where Mrs. Evans had let him in. Knocking lightly at the door, Alex waited for a response. He could hear the soft 'tush tush' sounds of music issuing from within so he knew Isabel was there. "Isabel?"

Isabel wiped the tears from her eyes in shock. She had been so engrossed in her own thoughts that she had failed to hear the stones, the doorbell or the knock on her door. It was Alex's voice which stopped her in her tracks. She took one look in her mirror and was horrified by the state of her face. She couldn't let him see her like this.

Alex was starting to think he should go but knew, behind that door, there was someone who really needed to hear what he had to say. "I'm coming in, okay?" There was still no answer and he took the silence as acquiescence. Pushing open the door, he was met with the shocked, teary face of his sometime girlfriend.

It came as somewhat of a fright to see Isabel brought so low. Despite all his time with the gang and the dangers it brought, he had rarely seen her so lost. Composure was Isabel's middle name and it was often the trait which made her so inaccessible. Now, the mask had disintegrated and he was confronted with the girl who struggled from day to day with the burden of what she was.

Instinctively, he went to her and put his arms around her. "Isabel." At first, she didn't respond, too shocked by his sudden turnaround to know how to react. Then, the tears welled up and she sobbed against his shoulder until all her sorrow was spent and dry heaves were all that remained.

The tears wrung out of her, Isabel pulled away, "I'm so sorry, Alex. I've behaved...I've been so awful to you. I don't know what to do to make it up to you."

Alex softened at hearing the desperate, apologetic tone in her voice. He had planned to talk to her straight, just say his bit and let her say hers. Yet, seeing her so vulnerable inspired different words. "Isabel, I've thought long and hard about this whole thing. I mean, you were really harsh and I meant it when I said how much those things hurt."

Isabel nodded, fresh tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. "I know. I know I did..."

Alex staid her with his hand. "Just let me get this out, Is. I ran those words through my head so many times I thought I was going crazy. Then, I started moving past that day and looking into what the future might be. Now I know you and I have had a pretty rocky time of it in the past but the funny thing is...I don't think I can quit it. After everything we've been through and the person I've grown into since I met you, I can't turn away from it. I really care about you, Isabel, and corny as it sounds, I want to stand by you until I see a happy ending in sight."

A flicker of a smile crossed Isabel's face, as fragile as sunlight refracted through crystal. "I want that, too. I really do...but those things I said..."

"It doesn't matter now. I'll never see things from your side of the fence, Isabel. I'm never going to truly get how scared these cults make you or how much of your family tree is posted on the display boards at the UFO Centre. I know that now. I just want to be here with you."

Isabel flung her arms around his neck, warmly. "God, what did I do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?!"

Alex shrugged, stroking her back. "Well, it'll probably cost you."

* * *

Maria DeLuca sat at the far end of what had to be the most colossal dining table she had ever seen. It stretched away from her until the people became nothing but a sea of flesh-coloured blobs, each crowned with different shades of brown and blonde. The chattering noise of so many people talking was deafening considering the acoustics of all the rooms in the building.

She had been trying not to lose her cool, but the prospect of ever seeing the outside of this place was starting to fade. Once the sun dipped its brow beneath the horizon and left night to do its thing, she felt more trapped than ever. It felt like years since she had last seen her friends and her reasons for coming here even more remote. Still, most people were pretty friendly towards her and Maria was starting to feel less like an outsider.

A young man sat down opposite her with some pasta and a glass of water. "Hi." His face was open and generous-looking, the kind of innocence which lent itself to questioning. Maria knew she shouldn't be too forceful and give herself away, but those big, brown eyes and spatter of freckles across his nose just begged to be talked to. Offering her warmest smile, she replied, "Hi. My name's Cathy."

"Ronald. I figured you must be the new girl. I'd been hoping to see you all day." His eyes glowed with excitement.

"Really? Wow, word sure does get around quickly."

"Well, in a place like this, there isn't much to talk about. New faces always create tension and that means gossip."

Maria glanced up and down the length of the table. Not a single eye met her gaze. They were playing a pretty good poker face if they were trying to cover up their interest in her. "Yeah, Preston kind of warned me about that."

"Folk are suspicious of outsiders." He eyed her curiously as if waiting to see what her reaction would be.

Maria was starting to feel a little annoyed. It was as if Ronald was only asking the questions because he wanted a rise out of her. Well, he wasn't going to get it from good old Cathy. "But every one of you was an outsider once. What's so special about me?"

Ronald shrugged, nonchalantly. "I guess it's because of this place. It's so new and it means so much to us all. We've invested hundreds of thousands between us into this project. This building, this moment in time...it's the culmination of what the CEO was designed for. I suppose that makes it a bad time for new arrivals."

Maria nodded, pretending she knew more than she did. "I'm from Roswell. Doesn't that make me one of the 'gang' already? I mean, not too many people live right in the hub of extraterrestrial activity like I've done."

"Yeah, but this is so much more than the 1947 crash. This is alien contact, real alien contact! We've been trying for so long, beaming out messages across the galaxy in thousands of frequencies. Now, finally, they've responded. We're so excited."

Maria's heart lurched. What did this mean for Max, Isabel and Michael? From what she had gathered, not every alien relation was benign. These could be hostile forces being given red carpet treatment before taking over the world. "How can you be sure that this time it's for real? There have been lots of cases where correspondence has occurred only to peter out."

Ronald looked at her as if she was completely mad. "After as many years as Theodore Preston and Bob Silva have been in this business, they know a good thing when they see it. That's what is so great about the CEO, don't you think? It brings together all the greatest and most informed minds on the subject so we can squeeze every piece of data out of messages received."

Maria felt unnerved by his sudden intensity, but she was finding out what she wanted to know. "Yeah, it's an amazing thing to be part of." She fought to think of subtle ways to find out what she wanted to know, but working undercover was proving to be more difficult than Maria had imagined.

She glanced down the length of the table again to see if some natural topic of conversation might arise from what she saw there. Instead, she only noticed Mr. Preston being approached by a businesslike fellow. The man whispered something in the leader's ear to which Preston nodded and took his leave from the table. Preston's eyes had flickered momentarily towards Maria and the teenager felt that stare in the pit of her stomach. Her heart was beating nineteen to the dozen and Maria quickly turned back to her food. Something told her that her cover had been blown and that she should head for the hills while she still stood a chance. Potential enemies surrounded her and none of her friends had a clue where she was. Maria prayed she was over-reacting.

* * *

"I think you'd better take a look at this, Theo."

Marcus Edelman inserted videotape into the VCR, turning the screen towards his boss, conspiratorially. Theodore Preston seemed disinclined to take his comrade seriously, thinking about the hearty meal he had left back in the hall to get cold on him. "Do we really have to do this now, Marcus?" he muttered, awaiting the usual paranoid lecture Marcus delivered.

Not only did the man insist on recording every speech Preston ever delivered but also he had recently taken to going through each recording with a fine toothcomb. Sometimes Theodore thought letting Marcus into the team was the worst decision he had ever made. Carefully considering his words, Preston ventured, "Listen, Marcus, maybe you should take a little...vacation from all this stuff. I mean, I appreciate everything you do and you're an invaluable member of our staff but...sometimes..."

Marcus cut him off, pausing the tape suddenly. "There! Look, Theo."

Theodore donned his glasses and squinted at the tape, trying to make out something extraordinary in the footage from his speech at the Roswell town hall. "All I see are a bunch of small town folk listening to me drone on for hours." Exasperation entered his voice. "Marcus, this is getting out of hand."

Marcus poked a finger towards the right edge of the screen, jabbing at one of the audience members. "That girl! That's the girl you let in today."

Preston leaned closer to scrutinise the fuzzy, pixelated image in front of him. "You're quite right." His voice was calm and assured, a stark contrast to the paranoid yammerings of his cohort.

Marcus laughed and clapped his hands in applause for his own cleverness. "I knew it! I just knew it! All this time, I knew I was doing the right thing. It was only a matter of time before people started coming out of the woodwork, but we'll be there to catch them. We've got to get rid of her. Nobody will miss her. What are you going to do, Theo? Are you going to kill her?"


	4. What Man Dares, I Dare

GODS AND MONSTERS 

By Allegra

(See Part One for disclaimers etc.)

NOTE: Sorry this has taken sooooo long! I'm going to do it in really small parts this time to try & keep up some kind of momentum. I hope you guys are still interested :). I'd love to hear any comments or suggestions.

Please nourish the feedback monster!

CHAPTER FOUR : WHAT MAN DARE, I DARE

* * *

Isabel and Alex were in the middle of tender moment when Max burst into the room, followed smartly by Liz who was brandishing a photo of her and Maria at Disneyland.

Isabel glared at her brother, "You could have knocked!"

"There isn't time," Max retorted.

Liz thrust the photograph into Isabel's hands. "Isabel, you've got to dream walk for us. We've got to find Maria and fast."

Isabel stared at her friend, uncertainly. "I don't know, Liz. I've never done it like this before. She'd have to be asleep and it's still early..."

"Please, Isabel. If it doesn't work now then we can try later tonight when she should be asleep."

"Maybe she's right, Is. Maria's been missing for over a day now. Her mom is worried sick and we might have the only link to where she is." Alex's face was urgent.

"I know, I just..." Isabel looked to her brother for his usual guidance. "Max, what about the CEO? Shouldn't we be keeping a low profile? If they have any kind of radar set up here for extra terrestrial activity, I could lead them right to us."

Max nodded. "I know, but we can't just sit here."

Alex asked, "Why don't we just go out into the desert and do it? A signal from the desert could mean anything. If we're careful, nobody would be able to prove we were there."

Isabel nodded, mutely. Max thought for a moment but there wasn't much to think about. This was the only way they could think of finding Maria and, despite everything, she had risked just as much as any of the other humans over the past months. The least the aliens could do was return the favour.

Isabel broke the silence, "Where's Michael?"

Max shrugged and Liz sighed, "He's been having a Maria-free moment. Whatever their argument was about last night, it really got to him."

Alex looked up from his position by the window and gestured to the street outside. "Speak of the devil."

A moment later Michael was in the bedroom, catching his breath. He quickly took in the group of faces around him and shook his head, gravely. "I've checked her room from top to bottom. Wherever Maria's gone, she hasn't left any trace and there's no sign of a struggle."

Isabel rose from the bed, confidently. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to find her. Come on, let's go."

* * *

Theodore wanted to slap Marcus more than ever. He needed to think, to collect his thoughts, remember every conversation he'd had with the girl. What was he going to do? She hadn't seen much, but then he hadn't been very cautious. Something about her knowledge of extra-terrestrials impressed him. Most people were fanatical but not this kid - she had been informed. It was like she understood his perspective, that her motives were as genuine as his. If he contained her now, he could get rid of her in the morning.

Marcus' shrill voice permeated Preston's mind. "What are you going to do, Theo?"

Theodore steepled his fingers under his chin, gazing at the paused tape flickering in front of him. "We're going to act normally. She doesn't know anything important. We'll finish dinner as usual then I'll have someone share a room with her, someone suspicious of her who won't breathe a word about the project. After breakfast, I'll provide a legitimate excuse and have Walt drive her back to Roswell."

Marcus looked dejected. "That's it?"

Theodore stared his colleague down, forcing the call for blood out of Marcus' face. "The last thing our people need is the scare of an intruder in their midst. The signals have been getting stronger with every brick laid out here and we have to do everything to keep the group power vital. Their attention must remain focused on the task. Besides, we don't need an inquiry into the untimely death of a hiker right under our noses. The blame will be placed on us quicker than you can say 'little green men'."

He was relieved to see Marcus back down at this argument. If he could tame Marcus' extreme ideas, Theodore knew he wouldn't have any trouble dealing with any members who cottoned on to their intruder. "I want you to find out who she is and fast but don't frighten her. I want her to think everything is normal. Don't let her out of your sight tonight."

* * *

Maria threw herself against the cool, feather pillow. She was sharing a bedroom with a girl who didn't look much older than her and this made Maria even more suspicious than she had been before. Judging from the people she had met so far, their reasons for being in the CEO had been fairly obvious - either they were alien mad or they had financial assets which Theodore Preston would no doubt have appreciated. However, the sudden emergence of a girl so young made Maria wonder what purpose or dedication she could possibly have here. It instantly conjured up images of child sacrifice, incest and strange blood rituals.

Maria closed her eyes for a moment, her mind racing over the evening's events. That guy who had disturbed Preston from his supper had been watching her all night. Every time she looked in his direction, she caught his eye. At first it had worried her but, by the end of the evening, Maria regarded it as nothing more than a suspicious character. She couldn't blame the guy really. Put in the same position, like when Michael found out someone else knew his secret, she knew she'd feel the same way.

Earlier in the evening, she had been assessing the quickest exits because she was sure they had got wind of her duplicity. Now, though, the intrepid reporter in her was rearing its head again. Maria was starting to feel like her old self, assertive and ready to find out exactly what she came here to find out. Her friends would be so proud if they could see how far she had got just on her own initiative. It would be a travesty if she stopped now just as things were starting to get interesting. Besides, if she was right about the CEO's suspicions of her, Maria must be close to finding out something pretty confidential. And she certainly wouldn't find out what that confidential information was unless she risked her butt. Convinced that it was now or never, Maria decided to lie in wait until the coast was clear and then go for a little 'sleep walk'.

Surprisingly, the teenager didn't feel as nervous as she had expected, considering how dangerous this venture could be. Nobody had a clue where she was, her friends and family were probably worried sick and as for Michael... Michael probably couldn't care less. Still, Maria's romantic mind could conjure up a vision of his manly concern and desperate search for the love of his life.

"Cathy?"

Maria almost forgot to respond to her new name and quickly caught herself. She turned to the owner of the voice that sounded like a tinkling bell. "Oh, hi..."

"Charlene. My name's Charlene Preston."

Maria stopped short of pulling herself up into a sitting position. "Preston? As in Theodore Preston?"

The blonde girl nodded, shyly. Maria surveyed the girl's lightly freckled face and the round grey eyes staring back at her from under pale eyelashes. If she looked hard enough, the teenager could find a few features that resembled the founder of the CEO. "Wow. What's that like?"

Charlene giggled and rolled her eyes a little. "You get used to it, I guess. I've always lived with him and the CEO."

Maria tried to hide her surprise. "You mean you've spent your life in compounds like this one?"

"Yes. It's so nice to have such a big family who are always looking out for you."

Maria hoped her nod seemed sincere when inside she was recoiling at the image of growing up in such a freak show. It was inconceivable even to her new age sensibilities that the environment of conspiracy and UFO-mongering could be a good place for a child to spend her formative years. On closer inspection, Charlene couldn't have been more than fourteen years old. "What about school? Are you going to start at Roswell High?"

"No. My father hires tutors, usually members of the CEO. They travel with me wherever I go."

"But don't you miss out on friends and hanging out at the local diner?" Maria enquired, incredulous.

Charlene shrugged as if the whole scenario were perfectly natural. "No. I've got friends here."

"Other girls your age?"

"Not exactly, but my father always says I'm mature for my age." Charlene scrutinised Maria's face as if she had never seen another teenaged girl before. "So, are you going to stay here, Cathy?"

Maria was feeling uncomfortable enough being stared at but the use of her fake name only made her feel even more duplicitous. "I guess that depends on your father. I was surprised I even got this far. I mean, this is a pretty prestigious project from what I gather."

Charlene took the bait. "Oh, it is. Only the best and most worthy CEO members were given permission to join the Roswell contingency."

Maria nodded as if she understood completely. "That makes sense. This is Roswell after all. You need the best minds to separate the truth from the layers of fabrication."

"It's not so much that, it's the energy. You know, the signals?" Charlene flicked her hand nonchalantly as if none of this meant anything to her. Maria could see herself a few years ago in this girl. Until she met Max, Michael and Isabel the young waitress would never have believed the Roswell stories to be true. Who would if they had grown up in the place with plastic alien dolls sold in every corner shop?

Feigning comprehension, Maria smiled. "Oh, yeah, the signals from the aliens."

Charlene studied Maria again and for a moment the teenager was sure she had blown her cover. It made her feel transparent. Her heart was suddenly pounding so mercilessly that Maria was convinced Charlene could see her shirt moving as it beat in her chest. Suddenly, Charlene's gaze shifted away from her as she chattered on, "Yes. The aliens. Dad believes the group power has to be strong enough for the aliens to find, to fire up the generator."

Maria was still trying to calm herself and didn't want to push further by asking more UFO questions. She could explore those on her midnight walk later on. Wiping sweaty palms on her trousers, she casually asked, "Isn't it tough being here? Haven't you ever wanted to be, you know, normal? Somewhere else?"

Charlene's fingers fiddled unconsciously with the quilt on her bed. "Not really. I just...this isn't my passion. It won't be my life. Dad's got other kids to pass the mantle onto. I've always known this project meant more to him than I did." She shrugged the sadness off. "Still, it's a pretty cool place to live, don't you think?"

Maria forced a grin to her lips. "You certainly can't beat this on design, that's for sure."

Charlene stood up and began unbuttoning her shirt. "I'm going to go to bed. It's late and I've got to be in my tutorial at eight."

"Yeah, it's been a pretty full-on day for me, too." Maria glanced at her watch. It was gone midnight and there were few sounds in the corridors outside. From what she could gather, there were fairly strict unspoken rules about behaviour and routine. Maybe it was all to do with maintaining vital energy levels to communicate with the aliens. Maria momentarily wondered what the CEO would do if they realised the aliens were already among them.


End file.
